


Dance Fighting

by Rhov



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Ass to Mouth, Barebacking, Blow Jobs, Closet Sex, Cock Tease, Come Swallowing, Come as Lube, Deepthroating, Dirty Dancing, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Fingerfucking, Frottage, Handcuffs, Happy Ending, Hotel Sex, Ice Play, Light Bondage, Light Sadism, Love Confessions, Love Hotels, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Multiple Sex Positions, Oral Sex, Public Display of Affection, Rimming, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Roughhousing, Shameless Smut, Shower Sex, Silence Kink, Sloppy Makeouts, Teasing, Testicle play, Tickling, Wrestling, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-26
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-08 14:02:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhov/pseuds/Rhov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Refusing to be beaten by Gray in anything, Natsu challenges him to some dirty dancing. It quickly escalates until their "fight" must be taken to a new battlefield: a love hotel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dance

**Author's Note:**

> _My best friend is a 4-time national champion dancer. My in-laws are ballroom dancers who have won awards. My grandfather was the talk of Franklin, North Carolina, with his unbeatable Charleston moves. Me? I tried ballet lessons and was told that my sense of balance is abominable. I can't even waltz. I got the idea of dancing as a sexy way to fight after reading the One Piece fic "One Moment's Heat" and the doujinshi "Pirate Ship Noah." Both are really hot stories!_
> 
> _I drew fanart if you want to drool over something more:_   
>  _[Natsu and Gray: yaoi](http://fav.me/d4tl25m). Warning: mature content_
> 
> _Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima doesn't like my dirty dancing moves, so he won't let me write this into the manga._ XP

For a stripper, he was a phenomenal dancer. Although Natsu felt a brass pole might have served Gray better...no, it was best not to imagine him pole dancing. Just seeing him take to the guild's dance floor was bad enough. As much as the ice-bastard annoyed him, he was graceful, his movements refined, and so long as he was dancing with a partner, his clothes somehow managed to stay on.

Gajeel's guitar and Mira's vocals were mere accessories to the main show of Gray dancing. He completely owned the floor, and all the girls wanted to be his partner. Lucy, Erza, Cana, Levi, Lisanna, Evergreen, Bisca, Laki, he danced with Mira during one of Gajeel's solo songs, and of course Juvia weaseled her way into her precious Gray-sama's arms almost every other song. Even when his partner was little Wendy, Gray managed to make the pre-teen look as glamorous as a supermodel. That was his talent, to take frigid dancers and mold them into something beautiful.

He clapped to the beats, slapped his heels, twirled, jived. Sometimes it was more like he simply floated along to the flow of the melody. He could spin a girl and grab her without the lady losing balance. He could time their movements until it was like he was forcing her to move in a certain way by magic. His body twisted like flurries in a blizzard, fluttered as light as a snowflake, and made the girls melt like frost on the first day of spring. His hair was as dark as midnight in winter, his eyes like noon in summer, his skin as rosy as sakura in the spring, and his moves as crisp and colorful as an autumn leaf.

Natsu hated to admit it, but Gray's dancing was pure perfection. His sense of the tempo was flawless. His hips snapped as he swung his partner into a spin that was just enough to send her skirt flaring, yet never enough so the audience saw her panties, then he caught her just before she could feel dizzy. He was gentle with each partner too, sensing when she was out of breath and adjusting to less exhausting moves, doing the fancy work himself.

More than anything, Natsu was annoyed by that subtle, smirking grin that showed plainly to everyone that he was enjoying every minute of being the Dancing Ice Prince. That look made Natsu's heart thump in his throat, as if only his scarf choked back the pounding sensation. His chest burned. His lower stomach tightened each time Gray gave a well-timed thrust against a lady, making her eyes pop open and her cheeks blush hot. Fucking exhibitionist! The fact that he looked so damn good doing it was even more frustrating to the dragon slayer.

The music got faster. Natsu smirked that it was as if Gajeel was privately challenging Gray. Who could keep up the fastest: Gray's nimble movements or Gajeel's fingers of iron? The guild recognized this for the silent fight it was and gave him the dance floor. Even Juvia stopped trying to get a chance to dance again. They stood along the sides, clapping a percussive tempo to Gajeel's guitar, cheering as Gray's body spun and his legs worked, arms moved, hips swung, flawlessly hitting each accented beat with a thrust that made Juvia swoon. Still that smirk curled on his face, so confident in his talent as a mage and as a dancer!

Natsu realized he was staring...and sweating. He, who never felt hot even standing in the midst of an inferno, was flushed as he watched Gray's flexible body twist and spin.

_Damn showoff! Damn exhibitionist showoff bastard!_

But he had to admit, Gray was _amazing_. Natsu's heart beat faster than the music's tempo. The noise around him faded until it was a quiet sound of the music and a throbbing pulse of his own heartbeat. In a stubborn burst of determination, he set down his bottle of flavored milk, slid off the stool by Mira's bar, and weaved through the crowd that surrounded Gray.

Gajeel's music spiraled into something frenzied, to the point where the Ice-Make mage was merely spinning to keep up, his arms spread out for balance, a mere step-tap in between to keep the rotation going. The song reached its peak, and so did he. Gray had never spun this fast for this long. He brought his arms closer to his body to speed up, whirling like a top. He briefly wondered how he could stop, if he would ruin this competition at the very end by falling flat on his face. Gajeel was surely at the limit to a human's ability to play, merely strumming chords now in what must have been sixty-fourth note riffs that were about to snap his guitar strings. It was an insane fight, an ultimate test for both musician and dancer, when suddenly...

It ended with a loud, pounding chord. It was Gajeel's final challenge, to stop! For a split second, Gray realized he would lose when suddenly he found himself stationary, but not of his own accord.

Natsu grabbed Gray by the shoulders just as the music hit its final note. The thick, hard body had caught him just in time. Gray's back was pressed up against the dragon slayer's chest, giving him stability when he knew he probably would have fallen to the side in dizziness. As the crowd roared with delight, all Natsu could hear was the sound of Gray's exhausted breathing, and all Gray felt was his chilled, sweaty back up against the strong, muscular, fiery torso of the dragon slayer. He sensed the feeling of heated breath on the side of his neck, and it sent a shiver unlike any snowstorm could do.

Natsu looked at Gray with narrow, possessive eyes. Of all times for the stripper to get rid of his clothes, now he wished he would! As if reading his mind, Gray tossed the purple silk shirt and black tie aside. He probably would have ditched the pants too, but Natsu's fingers had taken possession of his belt loops, tugging them to pull himself closer to Gray's rump.

A slower song started. Natsu leaned forward and breathed deeply against the ice mage's pale ear. "Dance with me now." It was not a request, nor an order, but a challenge. Gray won his fight with Gajeel. Now Natsu would be his opponent.

Gray snickered to himself that the dragon slayer must be jealous of his dancing skills, enough to try one-upping him. He accepted the challenge by swaying his body to the music, letting himself brush against Natsu's groin ever so slightly. The slight hiss he heard in his ear was enough to know that he had scored the first point.

The rest of Fairy Tail went back to their own business, partnering up for dancing, grabbing mugs for drinking, shouting to each other, laughing uproariously, until Natsu and Gray were just two people in the midst of mild chaos. Those who knew them realized this was just another way they fought. A dance competition seemed mild enough for the two destructive mages. So long as fireballs and ice lances were not involved, it wasn't very interesting. Lucy ran off with Levy and Cana for an all-girls bathroom break, while Juvia was temporarily distracted by Loke requesting a dance.

No one saw the looks Natsu and Gray shared.

Natsu's fiery body pressed hard against Gray's cold back. The ice mage laced his fingers within Natsu's hand, dragging the hot hands away from the belt loops and over the hardened abs of his bare stomach, giving the dragon slayer a tantalizing feel of flesh. He glanced over his shoulder to see a flush the same color as Natsu's pink hair light up his soft cheeks. Two points for him!

Gray stepped away for a moment, as if he was done and ready to dance solo again. Natsu growled deep in his throat. Gray gave one of his seductive pelvic thrusts, the type that made everyone wish he would strip completely. Gray was obviously teasing him, and Natsu was not about to lose another point to him. He roughly took Gray by the hips and yanked him back to grind slowly against his ass. Gray felt the semi-hard thrust through his black jeans. He gave a faint gasp, not loud enough for any of the guild members to hear, but enough for Natsu's sensitive ears. He grinned at the sound.

Gray 2: Natsu 1.

Gray sneered back at him. "Bastard, what are you trying to do?"

Natsu merely shrugged. "Who knows," he smirked.

Gray laughed quietly. "We'll play it that way, then."

The ice mage began to grind back, running his hands down Natsu's waist, down to his thighs, then back up in maddening slowness, slipping his fingers forward slightly and feeling the tell-tale hardness prodding at his ass. He snickered and rolled back into it again, harder this time. However, the move affected him as much as it did Natsu. He leaned his head back onto Natsu's shoulder and moaned softly. Then his hand reached up and gripped into the pink hair, tugging it in slight roughness. It made Natsu gasp a small moan, too.

A point for each of them. Gray 3: Natsu 2.

Natsu wanted nothing more than to strip the stripper, shove him against the nearest table, and take him right there. He desperately tried to hold onto more sense than that. He couldn't lose. He refused to let the bastard beat him. Natsu knew he needed to counterattack fast. He was behind by one. At the very least, this dance had to end in a tie. He would accept nothing less, even if he had to cheat a little. He breathed hotly onto Gray's neck, gave him a tiny, fiery lick, right as he yanked Gray's belt loops and forced himself as snug as he could be against that tempting ass. Gray missed a step. His grip in Natsu's salmon hair tightened, and the small whimper was so quiet, Natsu barely caught it. But he still did!

Gray 3: Natsu 3. Score tied.

Their breaths were coming as hard as if they were truly battling. At about the same time, they realized their movements were getting too suspicious. Freed was eying them curiously. If Mirajane saw, rumors would be all around the guild by morning. They gave themselves a small reprieve. Natsu's grip loosened. Gray moved so that there were a few centimeters of space between their bodies. Both began formulating their next attack.

Natsu wondered, how did this happen? Gray had been his rival since childhood. They had fought one another and beaten one another into bloody pulps. His stripping habit had annoyed Natsu to the point of anger. Yet Natsu had to admit that Gray didn't look right with clothes on. He was damn sexy dressed or not but...

Wait, did he just call Gray _sexy?_

Natsu could not lie to himself anymore. He fought Gray because he loved the struggle, and because it let off steam that otherwise might lead to something worse...something just like what was going on now. However, Gray had dated girls before. He was obviously attracted to Lucy, and maybe a little to Juvia. He was straight as an arrow. Now, purely to battle this childhood rival, he was grinding back slowly and maddeningly, with subtle glances that said he wanted Natsu just as much as the dragon slayer wanted him.

Natsu's grip on Gray's hips tightened, worried about losing to his rival in a game of seduction. He wanted the battle to go to the next level, yet he had no clue how to change the battlefield.

"Let's get out of here," Gray whispered.

Well, that was one way, and it stunned Natsu. Gray's voice was shaking, husky, clenched with determination that they had to stop this battle while it was still at a tie or else something explosive would happen in the midst of the entire guild. He knew just as well as Natsu that they needed a change of scenery for the battle that was to come.

When Natsu said nothing, Gray scowled. "What? You giving up?"

The way his eyebrows pulled down so hard that the scar on his forehead showed through the bottom of his raven fringe, Natsu was certain that Gray really did want this as much as him. He whipped around and nearly crushed Gray's wrist in a possessive grab. The ice mage tripped along behind him as Natsu fiercely dragged him through the crowd and out of the guild hall. A few guild members watched, but they shrugged it off. The two were probably heading to the river for one of their usual brawls.

The cold chill of Magnolia shocked them both for a moment. Clouds bubbled overhead, and Natsu could smell the dusty scent of approaching rain. They got only as far as the souvenir stand, empty and closed for the night. Now Gray grabbed Natsu's arm and swung around the small stand, yanking them both to the back of the hut. There was barely any room between the stand and the stone wall that encircled the guild hall and attached buildings; however, it was enough for two men to be pressed up close together. Natsu slammed into the wall and cursed softly at such roughness. At the same instant, Gray was on him, thrusting his hips against Natsu's, his arms caging the dragon slayer in, lips mere millimeters apart in teasing closeness.

Natsu hissed at the way Gray's hardness rubbed against him through the fabric. Now it was Natsu who had his fingers in Gray's hair, brushing it back to see his whole face. Gray grabbed Natsu's belt loops to yank him closer while his hips rolled to meet him, sliding, pressing against that hard cock inside, as if he could stab Natsu into the wall. He forgot to keep score now. It no longer mattered. He slammed his mouth against Natsu's, making the pink head hit against the wall. Natsu grumbled at the pain, so Gray placed a hand behind Natsu's hair, padding him. Natsu was shocked at the tender consideration. He wrapped around Gray's naked waist and pulled him in closer. His fingers ran over the sinewy shoulders and strong, bare back.

Teeth clanged, tongues dueled, just as they had often fought one another, fire and ice in an eternal battle for dominance. Gray grunted at the hardness that frotted against him. A small stream of saliva dripped from his mouth and trailed down his chin. Gray was like a starving man, but all he wanted to taste was the slightly sulfuric flames of the fire dragon.

The kiss slowly eased up. The ice mage's hand slipped down the front of Natsu's pants. Somehow, they had loosened, as if the fabric knew the will of the wearer. His front button was undone, his sash loosened, and Gray easily slipped his hand inside the billowing pants.

As that icy hand wrapped around his aching erection, Natsu had to tear his mouth away, groaning with clenched teeth as he thrust against the feel of Gray's cold fingers wrapped around his base. Gray gave a soft chuckle that pissed off the dragon slayer. Bastard droopy eyes! He was trying to win without giving Natsu a chance to counterattack.

"Wait!" he breathed.

The Ice-Make mage paused, giving his rival a moment to come up with a battle plan. However, when Natsu finally lifted his head, those narrow eyes were not what Gray had expected. They were soft, almost pleading. It stunned Gray, and his grip loosened from the shock. Was Natsu giving up? Already? But that wasn't like him at all!

"I ain't an exhibitionist like you. I don't want this here. My place." He panted the request, and for a moment Gray saw the fiery spark of defiance. It was not a surrender, but yet another request to change the battlefield. After all, this was quickly escalating beyond mere seduction.

"Hell no," Gray growled, rubbing hard against Natsu's front. "It's too far away. I don't wanna wait that long." He buried his face in Natsu's neck, nosing his way past the scarf to nibble on that sensitive scar.

Natsu fought the moan those cold lips were eliciting. Gray realized the scar was a weak spot, and he sucked hard on it. Natsu suddenly cried out, then covered his mouth. He grabbed Gray by the back of his hair to yank his head back. At this rate, he was going to come before he even got his pants off, and he was fairly certain that meant an instant loss.

"You're not whipping it out in public, you exhibitionist bastard!" he managed to say between grinding teeth. He grabbed Gray's wrist, and, by sheer strength, he pulled that seducing hand out of his pants. "If you don't even have that much willpower to control yourself, then I win."

"Che!" Gray scoffed, yanking his hand away. He rubbed his fingertips together, feeling the tiny bit of pre-cum that had moistened them. "Fine, we'll get a hotel, that way Happy doesn't barge in on us." He jerked away, but he realized he was ready to lose control as well. He gathered himself together a few steps away from where Natsu was still breathing heavily while leaning against the wall to recover.

This round...a tie!

A hotel room it was, and they practically raced to get there. Gray at least got one point by paying for it.

"Taking someone underage to a love hotel...I feel like a dirty old man seducing a little schoolgirl," Gray teased as they walked through the halls.

"Shut the fuck up, ice bastard," Natsu growled.

The walk up to the room was otherwise silent. Both were waiting for the other to shove him up against the wall and lose all composure right there. Both knew that such an action would be admitting defeat in this challenge of wills, a silent battle to restrain themselves. They stole glances at each other, then would quickly look away. The atmosphere changed. Natsu worried that Gray might chicken out. After all, Gray liked girls. Why would he go this far just for a competition? However, even if their heads cooled off enough to question if this was the right thing to do, neither would back down. They were committed to seeing this battle through to the end.

When they walked into the hotel room, there was no groping one another the moment the door closed, no mad dash to remove clothing—they both knew Gray would win that competition. Instead, they both stood there side by side in the entryway. Who would make the first move? Whoever caved in first was the one who could resist the other less.

"Maybe I should have found my shirt first," Gray mumbled awkwardly.

"The lady at the desk was definitely looking at you weird," Natsu agreed, tugging at his scarf in a nervous gesture.

Gray watched him and chuckled. "So eager to strip?"

"I'm not like you," Natsu snapped. "My scar itches since you decided to suck on it."

Gray raised a hand and brushed it against Natsu's neck. The touch made Natsu shiver, but he tried to hide the effects.

"You have a hickey," Gray realized, seeing the pink mark. "At least your stupid scarf can hide it."

"This is not a stupid scarf," Natsu shouted. "Igneel gave this to me, and it's more precious to me than _you_ will ever be!"

Gray had enough. He attacked Natsu's lips, but at the same time it was Natsu who slammed Gray against the wall. Maybe Gray lost a point by making the first move, but Natsu admitted he lost a point by reacting the harshest. He shoved his tongue into Gray's opened, surprised mouth. Gray responded by thrusting Natsu's shirt off faster than he could get his own clothes removed. Natsu detached his mouth from Gray's to reattach it to his neck as he started ripping at the ice mage's belt, desperate to get the clothes off.

"I can hide my hickeys," the pink-head chuckled. "The only way you could hide yours is to keep your clothes on for the next few days." His lips trailed down Gray's bare chest, his tongue flicked against his nipple, and Gray held on tight to his shoulders as Natsu continued down onto his knees. "I wonder if you'd be able to do that."

"They'd mistake them for the usual bruises I get in fights," Gray shrugged, helping Natsu to pull his pants down.

"Not where I plan on putting them," Natsu chuckled. "Now, how about we stop all competitions for the night. It's a tie, agreed?"

"Sure, a tie."

Just then, Natsu's mouth took Gray's cock into a fiery hot suck. He hissed when Natsu hummed around his shaft, then smiled down. His hand stroked through the pink spikes in admiration. Warm wetness, a curling tongue, the sliding feel of saliva coating him...all so good! He gave a lust-filled growl to urge Natsu on.

"Although," Gray had to add, unwilling to be outdone, "it certainly is nice to see you on your knees before me."

A vein popped on Natsu's forehead. He grabbed Gray's balls and applied just enough heat to make him shout. Not at all expecting it, Gray lost his delicate willpower.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck!_ " he shouted, knowing he was about to lose it. His head threw back as his knees nearly gave way.

Natsu hummed as he swallowed down Gray's cum. Then he rose up fast and kissed him hard to share the salty-bitter taste. When he pulled back, a sticky white string connected their mouths. "That's one point for me. And your cum tastes disgusting."

"Fucking cheater," Gray gasped.

With swift grace, the ice mage lifted Natsu and partially carried him to the bed, slamming him down onto the blankets. Natsu had to wonder where his clothes went from the doorway to the bed. Stupid stripper using his uncanny superpowers on him! They were now both bare, and Gray breathed hard as he glared down at Natsu's stunned expression. His sword necklace lightly swung against Natsu's chest, tickling his skin. The dragon slayer stared up and gulped a little, wondering what the Ice-Make mage had in store, and a little worried at just why he had paused in his attack.

Gray could hardly help but look down at his partner and feel a heated flush melt his heart. He reached up uncertainly and stroked Natsu's cheek. It made the boy under him blush and have a stunned expression, almost terrified at the affectionate touch.

"Are you going to regret this in the morning?" Gray asked worriedly.

Natsu scoffed and looked aside. "When have I ever regretted something I did?"

Gray had to chuckle in agreement. No matter how reckless, Natsu was not the sort to feel sorry later.

He gave Natsu's throat a long lick, earning a moan. Then he attacked with nips and powerful sucking. His fingers slid up the sculpted torso, then rolled Natsu's nipples until the dragon slayer mewled and wiggled, wanting more. With his mouth on Natsu's, Gray reached down and gripped the enlarged cock. Damn him, but Natsu's size was nothing to laugh about. They had no lube, and that monster would tear him apart if it came to that. For sheer sake of self-preservation, Gray was determined not to be the one taken. He had to wear Natsu out before they got to that point.

He grabbed the cock, and his thumb ran circles over Natsu's head. Natsu moaned softly and covered his mouth.

"Hey, I wanna hear you."

"Like hell," Natsu growled.

"It's a love hotel. The walls are thick. No one's gonna hear you, so don't hold back." His hand pumped Natsu swiftly, not giving any chance to gain composure. Natsu's hand pressed tighter against his mouth. "I said don't hold back, you bastard! You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"It's more embarrassing being heard by you!"

Gray's eyebrow twitched. "Is that so?" He grabbed Natsu's wrists and slammed both of them up against the wrought iron headboard. Then magic glowed from his cold hands. "Ice-Make: Handcuffs!" The wrists were instantly chained to the iron grill in icy bondage.

"Fucking bastard!" Natsu yelled, struggling against the restraint. "I'll just melt them and..."

Gray bent down and began licking Natsu's stomach. The dragon slayer looked down in confusion, but then the tongue lapped into his belly button.

"H-Hey! That tickles."

Gray smirked and kept licking, moving onto Natsu's sides and poking his tongue into the space between ribs.

"Waaah! Stop it, stop! Cheater!"

Natsu squirmed under him, laughing so hard he was ready to cry, when suddenly Gray slid his hand down. He coated his middle finger with ice and slipped it inside Natsu's ass. The cold intrusion was too much. Natsu shouted loudly, his eyes bugged out, and a flush instantly colored his cheeks at hearing his wanton voice. Gray rose up and smirked at him.

"Such a beautifully sexy sound!"

"Asshole," Natsu mumbled.

"Yes, indeed this is," Gray smiled, thrusting his finger in more. His mouth nibbled down Natsu's throat, getting more low groans.

"No, w-wait...I'm gonna..."

He forcefully pulled his head away and screamed as he came swiftly and hard, squirting so powerfully that it splattered all the way up to Gray's chin.

"Damn, that was too fast. How long since you last jerked yourself off?" Gray chuckled, looking at the pale white mess.

"I'm not...a pervert...like you," Natsu panted heavily. "I don't...do things like that."

Gray looked down in shock. "You don't...you mean...never? You've never touched yourself?"

Natsu pouted and looked away with embarrassment. "Igneel said things like that were supposed to be between two people."

Gray looked down at him again, lying there with a flushed body, his arms still trapped in ice. He forgot about competitions and battles for now. Natsu suddenly looked vulnerable to him.

"Are you a virgin?"

Natsu gave a timid shrug but pouted, worried for a moment. Would that change everything? Would Gray pull away if he was? Would he hate him if he wasn't? Either way, the bastard better not treat him like a fragile girl or he'd break his jaw!

Gray looked down at his own eager cock, but now he wondered if taking Natsu on his first time was the best thing to do. If he hurt him, Natsu might not want to try gay sex anymore. More than anything, Gray didn't want this to be a one-time thing. The icy bondage shattered with the lack of concentration, and Gray moved back a little bit.

Natsu immediately feared the worse. _No! Don't move away from me! Don't abandon me! Don't ever leave me alone again!_

Instead, Gray got on his hands and knees on the bed, presenting his ass as a tasty morsel. Natsu blinked in confusion.

"Really, do I have to spell it out for you?" Gray shouted with forced annoyance. "Shit! You put your fingers in, loosen me up a bit, and when I tell you I'm ready, your _little dragon_ goes in the hole."

"Little?" he roared. However, the temptation was overwhelming. Just thinking about fucking that tender ass made Natsu get hard again.

Gray was getting impatient waiting in such a humiliating position. "Do you want to or not?" he snapped. "If you really don't, we can end it here and call it a tie."

Natsu moved forward cautiously, looking at the tiny puckered star. Then he looked down at his slightly deflated cock. He knew this was going to hurt Gray, and he realized why Gray was volunteering. For the sake of their "team," he was taking the fall. He would bottom so Natsu's first time could be more enjoyable.

"Thanks, Gray," he muttered. "Tell me if it hurts."

"Of course it'll hurt, bastard," the ice mage grumbled. "Just prep me enough."

Natsu sucked on his fingers, coating them moistly, then inserted the first one. He thought it felt weird, and he had to admit that a part of his mind thought this was immensely gross, sticking his finger into Gray's ass. However, the moan from Gray made him ignore the physics behind it.

"You...have you done this before? I mean, with a guy?" asked Natsu.

"Once," Gray grumbled. "I was drunk."

"So then why are you agreeing to it now?"

Gray gave a casual shrug between heavy panting. "Who knows? So what's your reason?"

Natsu wondered how he could tell him. Looking at Gray's flushed cheeks, feeling the inside of his body, smelling the sweat that beaded on his skin, drove out logic and words. Instead, Natsu leaned over Gray's back, tilted the ice mage's face around, and gave him a deep kiss. Gray hummed at the burning hot lips. It wasn't an answer, but it was enough for them. Natsu's finger moved in and out, pressing in deep, feeling around inside.

"Another," Gray huffed heavily.

Natsu was careful inserting the second finger. Although Gray shouted, he sensed there was pleasure within the pained cry. Gray's panting became heavier, his groans a little deeper. Natsu twisted his fingers, scissored them, and felt how Gray bucked back into him, just as he had done on the dance floor. It drove Natsu crazy. He pulled his fingers out, spit on his hand, covered his cock as well as he could with saliva and his own spent cum, but he knew this was going to be too dry. Still, he needed to be inside Gray, now! As he pressed up against him, he realized this was not going to be as easy as he thought. He had to guide himself and really press to get just the head in.

"Arghhh!" Gray shouted at the massive intrusion. His fingers clenched the sheets. "Wait, wait!"

Natsu did, worried by the agony in Gray's face. He almost wanted to stop, but just as his confidence waned, Gray gave a sigh.

"Okay, slowly."

Natsu went slow, although every muscle in his loins wanted to thrust in hard and fast. As soon as he was buried to the hilt, Natsu paused to savor the feeling of being wholly encompassed. He thought of the fights they had in the past, the years of competition, the rivalry that had spurred them both on to becoming powerful mages...all accumulating in this moment.

"Hey, Gray."

The ice mage had to pant three more times and swallow hard before he could reply, "What?" His voice shivered from the pleasure within him.

"I'm gonna make you come first."

Gray glanced back over his shoulder with a weary grin on his face. "Like hell you will!"

Natsu pulled back and began a steady rhythm. Gray's moans urged him on. He shuddered and twitched. Gray's arms gave out a little, so that his face fell to the blankets, yet his ass stayed up for Natsu to pound. However, something was missing. Natsu pulled out, gaining a whimper of protest from Gray. He forcefully flipped Gray onto his back, lifted the pale legs over his own muscular shoulders, and stared down into his icy blue eyes.

"I wanna see the faces you're making," Natsu said, then slammed in even harder.

Gray cried out at the sudden force, and Natsu's mouth went over his, enjoying the wintermint taste and the moans vibrating his lips. He reached between their bodies and pumped Gray's cock in rhythm to his own movements. Gray squirmed under him in both pain and pleasure. His teeth clenched; his eyes tightened. Natsu watched him with fascination and pleasure. He liked giving Gray enjoyment like this, and he loved the pleasure he took from thrusting into him.

"Fuck, you feel good," Natsu grunted. It felt so wonderful, he almost wanted to cry.

Gray moaned loudly, but he refused to shout his name. He might have agreed to be on bottom for Natsu's sake, but he sure as hell was not about to lose by screaming his name. Apparently, Natsu did not see something like that as losing a point. Or he was in such ecstasy, he completely forgot about their competition.

"Gray!" he groaned.

"That's right, moan my name, bitch," Gray teased.

Natsu laughed in exhaustion and tension. "Who's the bitch, my sweet little uke?"

"Just 'cause you're in my ass, you think I'm the uke?" He bucked up against Natsu, letting him bury himself deep. Both of them howled at that. "Fuck!"

"Ahh, Gray!" He grabbed the ice mage up into his arms, setting him in his lap as he continued to thrust into him.

Gray grabbed around Natsu's back in desperation. His mouth buried itself into Natsu's hot shoulder until he could taste the saltiness of his sweat. "Oh God! Oh fuck," he repeated over and over. He was struggling to hold back now, but he knew he was about to lose.

"Ah! Nngh! Gray! I'm gonna come. Should I pull out?"

"It's fine," Gray huffed.

Gray squeezed Natsu tightly as the boy shivered and trembled. He felt himself being filled, and the throbs and spurting drove him over the edge. A few moments later, Gray tensed up and came against Natsu's stomach, gasping at how great Natsu's cum felt filling him. Then the ice mage went quiet and did not move.

"Gray?" Natsu whispered softly.

"Shh..." Gray smiled and stroked Natsu's hair. "I'm fine. You feel wonderful."

Gray laid back against the pillows and smiled up at Natsu. The dragon slayer sank down on top of him, barely stopping himself from crushing Gray. His panting was deep and hard, desperate for oxygen. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see Gray's mouth open, also gasping. Natsu dived at his lips to claim them once and for all. Slowly, he pulled out, rolled over, and curled into Gray's arms.

"So, how was your first time?" Gray asked with a smirk.

"Not bad," Natsu answered with a bored tone.

"Jerk!" Gray huffed. "If you're that unappreciative, you can forget a second time."

"Giving up so easily?" Natsu teased. "In that case, I declare victory."

"Like hell you will!" Gray glared. "You came first, so I win."

"Best two out of three," Natsu challenged.

Gray had to smile at that. "We'll see who wins after you have your time bottoming. I bet I'll make you sob as an uke!"

"You couldn't pull off a good seme if I laid down and whimpered for you."

"Flame-brained cocksucker!"

"Exhibitionist asshole!"

Gray laughed and gazed up at the ceiling. "A truce for today. But this fight is not over."

"Not a chance in hell is this over!" Natsu agreed. He stared up at the ceiling, then gazed over to his rival-lover. "Hey, Gray." The ice mage hummed sleepily. "It...really was great. Just to ease your fragile ego."

"Of course it was great," Gray muttered. "I'm a fucking sex god, after all."

"Bastard," Natsu yawned, and he fell asleep on top of Gray's chest.

"Same to you, flame-brain," Gray murmured before drifting off as well.

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Pillow Fighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I drew fan art to go with this story._   
>  _Link:[fav.me/d4tl25m](http://fav.me/d4tl25m)_

  
[fanart on DeviantArt](http://fav.me/d4tl25m)

It was rare to stop in such a nice ryokan, and the members of Team Natsu were eager to enjoy the splurge. However, having learned from previous stays, Lucy insisted upon a room separate from the boys and even offered to use some of her share of the reward money to pay for it.

"After all, my life is more important than my rent," she reasoned.

Erza offered to stay with her, and after getting hit with a couple pillows, Happy took refuge in the girls' room and was unconscious quickly. Lucy sighed as they heard the pillow battle raging next door. There was no such thing as a peaceful night of relaxation with those two boys around. They could hear every shout and roar, as well as many things breaking with the sound of crunching or shattering.

"Flame-brain!"

"Droopy-eyed stripper!"

Lucy huffed as she gave up trying to write. "Really, will it be okay with those two being alone? They won't kill each other for real, right?"

"I wonder," Erza said calmly. The ambiguous answer troubled Lucy.

In the other room, pillows were flying, some already with blood on them. Bits of broken glass and splintered wood made an obstacle course for the two fighters.

"I'm not about to let you win this time, sulfur-breath," Gray grinned, already stripped to his boxers and sweaty.

Natsu had lost his yukata somewhere along the way—torn bits of the fabric laid scattered all through the room—and the sweat of the battle dripped down his bare chest to his flame-printed boxers. "Then you admit defeat from last time."

"It was a tie last time."

Natsu grinned fiendishly. "That's not the _last time_ I'm talking about."

Gray's face flushed pink for a moment, and the dragon slayer took the perturbed distraction to his advantage. He pounced and tackled Gray. One hand held the half-naked ice mage's shoulder down while the other hand held a pillow, bashing him over the face again and again.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" Natsu cackled wildly. "Idiot! You're so easy."

Despite the pillow smacking his head like a lightly padded sledgehammer, a small smile lifted on Gray's face. "Easy, huh?"

He grabbed the pillow, ripping it. Feathers flew in all directions. Natsu was stunned, sneezed at the snowstorm of downy fluff, and suddenly felt himself being grabbed. Feathers blinded him. He was flipped, and his shoulder hit the floor hard. Suddenly, a heavy weight crushed him down. He sputtered a feather out of his mouth and blew air up over his face to clear away a few light bits of fluff. Finally, he saw Gray on top of him, staring down, but instead of triumph, there was a look of surprise on the ice mage's face.

"What?" Natsu snapped in irritation.

Gray still stared, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly parted in surprise. With the feathers under him, for just a brief moment Gray thought Natsu looked like an angel with glorious white wings. Never in his life had he thought of Natsu as being handsome, but for that one moment of delusion, the dragon slayer had appeared to be...cute. Angelic! Erotic, even!

Now the imaginary scene of seraphic sexiness was over, but the impression lingered in Gray's mind. Natsu had not yet lost the boyish softness in his cheeks, and for some unknown reason, pink looked really good on him. Elfman would say something like "Only real men can wear pink." Likewise, only Natsu could have pink hair and still be handsome.

Slowly, Gray's fingers caressed Natsu's hair, shaking a few feathers off, then slid down over his temple. The green eyes closed at the tender touch, and Natsu felt a shiver through his body caused by much more than just Gray's cold hands. The gentle fingers rested on the side of Natsu's face, cupping his soft cheek. Unlike Gray, it looked like a razor had never touched the dragon slayer's skin. His thumb rubbed across it, inspecting out of curiosity. Indeed, those cheeks were fuzzy soft, as if Natsu would never have to worry about growing a beard. Natsu instinctively leaned into the gentle palm, smiled for just a moment, before jolting and realizing just who was touching him.

"Let me go."

He meant it to be a growl of protest, but the words left his lips in a quiet, desperate tone. Those cold hands burned his cheek until his whole face felt like it was lit by an icy fire. He felt a pounding pulse vibrate from his cheek all the way to his heart, and something curled in the pit of his stomach. He felt like he had to get out of this entrapment, but part of him did not want to escape. Then Gray's face began to lean in closer. His blue eyes lowered, his lips loosened, and Natsu felt his heart go erratic. He squirmed, but Gray's body had him pinned.

Before he could voice a protest, those lips were on his. Natsu tensed up. It still felt weird kissing a boy...weird but right. Kissing itself was a weird and sort of gross thing, but he was not about to admit that to someone like Gray. He felt something soft and moist tap on his lips, seeking entrance. Natsu kept his mouth tightly shut against it.

Gray leaned back up and chuckled condescendingly. "Really, do you not even know how to kiss? No wonder you came too soon last time."

"Shut the hell up!" he snapped. "As I recall, you were the first to come."

Gray leaned right up into his face. "That's because you were so good at sucking me off. Should we skip ahead to that part since you can't even kiss me properly?"

Natsu was determined to prove him wrong. Although he had not kissed many people in his life, and mostly just pecks of friendship, he was not about to be beaten at something so elementary as kissing. He grabbed Gray's face and yanked him down so hard, their teeth hit together. Gray flinched as it felt like his lip burst, but Natsu voraciously went after him. Gray found his mouth invaded by a fiery tongue and met it with his own, swirling around it moistly before he fully opened his lips to suck Natsu's tongue into his mouth. Natsu shivered at the suction, and Gray felt his hips give a slight thrusting movement, a mere instinct, yet enough to tattle on his aroused state.

His hands slid up Natsu's stomach, trailing over hills and vales of muscles, until he reached the taut pectorals. Natsu groaned as Gray's fingers brushed over his nipples, inciting them into perkiness. His thumb and forefinger coaxed one nub to stand erect. Gray's mouth trailed down Natsu's neck, skipped over the scarf, and continued down his chest. He licked the pink, fleshy nub, lathing it until Natsu made a suppressed moaning sound. Then, drawing his lips back, Gray gently took the nipple between his teeth, barely scraping over it.

"Gray!" Natsu howled.

The ice mage looked up in shock. "Did that hurt you? I didn't do it hard."

"Dammit, it...it's sensitive there!" Natsu said with a blushing glare.

Gray looked surprised, but then a smirk slithered onto his face. "Did I snag a tsundere uke?"

"Shut up!"

"I didn't think such types really existed. It's cute."

"Who the hell are you calling cute, you bast-... _Fuck!_ "

Gray had reached down to Natsu's boxers and gripped his hard shaft tightly. Through the fabric, he gave Natsu three firm strokes. Natsu squirmed under him.

"S-Stop," he hissed out tensely. "The girls...they'll...they'll hear us."

Gray slowly slid down between Natsu's thighs. "Then you have to prove you can keep quiet. If you can't even do that much, you lose."

"You perverted strip-... _nngh_...-per!"

Gray had made his lips stretched tight and forced Natsu's cock to break through. The dragon slayer could hardly believe how good it felt, almost as if he was already sliding into Gray's ass. Then Gray used his tongue to press the cock up to the roof of his mouth, squeezing it between the bumpy taste buds and the ridges on the roof of his mouth. Natsu bucked up into it.

"Dammit, how do you know how to do this so good?"

Gray hummed "I dunno" around him, and Natsu jolted with Gray's name howling out of his throat.

* * *

In the other room, Erza heard them and squeezed her thighs against the urge to either touch herself or see if the two boys wanted a third. She was glad Lucy was in the bathroom and Happy was out cold. At Natsu's shout, she wondered if they were finished, but she decided not to chance it with poor Lucy. Whereas Erza had read plenty of yaoi to have seen the signs between the two boys, Lucy was such an innocent-minded girl. Learning that her two best male friends were hot for each other would confuse her. Erza had known for a while that she had to ease Lucy into the idea, and she had the perfect shounen-ai manga for that.

Luckily, they were quiet in the next room when Lucy came out.

"Bath time," Erza said in a rush, grabbing Lucy's wrist.

The blonde stumbled after her. "Eh? Oh yeah, this place has a hot spring. That sounds good. We should invite the boys."

From the other room, they heard Gray yell, "Oh fuck, Natsu! Dammit, let go of me! Get off!"

"You want me to _get off_ , huh? That's what I'm doing."

Erza blushed at the heated cry and dirty words, but Lucy pouted. "Sheesh, are those two still fighting?"

"Yep," Erza fibbed. "We should let them work it off."

"Don't you mean _work it out_?"

"Same thing," she muttered and pulled Lucy away.

* * *

"Natsuuu!"

The dragon slayer had Gray's hands pinned to the ground while he frotted up against the ice mage's cock. "That's right, scream my name, bitch," he teased, recalling what Gray had said last time.

"Bastard."

"Wrong name." Natsu reached between their bodies, grabbed Gray's shaft, and heated his hand just a little.

"Oh _fuck!_ " Gray howled.

"Lucy and Erza will hear," Natsu taunted slyly, although he could smell that the two girls were not in the next room anymore.

He grabbed both his dick and Gray's together, pressing them close until he could feel just how hot the ice mage was. Then he stroked both together. Despite himself, Natsu had to admit that it felt amazing. Gray obviously felt the same, because a loud howl echoed through the room.

"You're noisy," Natsu laughed, and he silenced Gray with a kiss.

Gray felt saliva drip down his cheek at the moistness of Natsu's kiss. The heated body on top of him felt comfortable, like a warm blanket on a winter night. He grabbed around the muscular shoulders and yanked Natsu even closer.

"Hey Natsu," he moaned between kisses. The dragon slayer hummed in question, too happy with kissing Gray's earlobe. "I wanna fuck your ass."

Natsu grinned and whispered into his ear. "That's a naughty thing to say, Gray. Besides," and he licked around Gray's ear shell. "I'm on top now."

"Are you scared it'll hurt?" he challenged. "Afraid it'll make you cry?"

Natsu leaned up and glared at him. Gray chuckled at the scorn in those squinty eyes.

"Let me do you," he offered. "See if you can handle the pain. I'll make you into a real man!"

"Being the bottom is a real man?" Natsu laughed.

"I think so," Gray shrugged. "It's more painful. Only a real man can handle pain like that, whereas any dog can thrust his cock into a hole." He propped up on his elbows to glare into the dragon slayer's face. "So are you a dog, or are you a man?"

Natsu weighed the words suspiciously. He knew Gray was egging him on, but...he really didn't mind! "Fine, which makes you the bitch this time."

"Bastard," Gray laughed. "Hey, suck on me a bit first."

"Why should I?" Natsu asked haughtily.

"'Cuz your mouth feels good," he answered honestly. "That fiery tongue of yours has a purpose after all."

Natsu slid down between Gray's legs, kissing his chest and abdomen as he went, then lapping his tongue into his belly button. He got to the thin patch of curly hair and the long, curved cock standing erect. He loved how Gray's penis looked, how smooth the shaft was but with pink wrinkles on the head. He kissed it, planting kisses on the head and all along the shaft.

"Tease," Gray grinned. "Suck on me already."

Instead, Natsu kept kissing lower, kissed his sack, then smirked as he took one testicle into his mouth and sucked on it. Gray howled and harshly pushed Natsu's forehead away.

"What the hell are you doing?" the ice mage panting.

"You said to suck you."

"Not those!"

"Why not? They're fun, too."

Gray's cheeks instantly went pink. He felt the heat and looked away in shame. "They're...it's just too much, okay?"

Natsu crawled up on top of him. "They're...what?" he whispered in a husky voice. His hand reached down and took the sack in his fingers. He lightly massaged the soft nuts inside. "If you don't tell me, I'll play with them more."

Gray's blushing darkened as he mumbled something.

"Can't hear you." Natsu rolled the balls in his hand.

"Stop, stop! I...I said...they're...sensitive," he grumbled.

Natsu smiled in victory and kissed Gray as a consolation prize. "Good boy. I'll give you a great blow job in return." He slid down fast and immediately took the cock into his mouth.

Gray stayed on his elbows, propped up to watch. Sure, it felt good, but he loved to watch Natsu more than anything. He brushed back the wild pink hair to see.

"Hey," he said in a low voice. "Hey, it's a bad angle."

Natsu spoke around the shaft. "It's a good angle for this." He went down until the cock pressed against the back of his mouth, then he loosened his neck muscles and thrust Gray's dick into his throat.

"Oh damn," Gray groaned. Okay, he had to admit, Natsu didn't just give good blow jobs. He gave _awesome_ blow jobs! "Whoa, okay, too much. You're gonna choke." Natsu pulled back a little and gasped for air. "Idiot, you can't breathe when you deep-throat."

"Yeah, I just realized that," Natsu pouted. "Did it feel okay?"

"Felt damn good."

"Good." Then Natsu dived back down and took it down the throat again.

"Oh shit!" Gray hissed, trying hard not to buck up and injure Natsu's throat. Then the dragon slayer pulled back, caught his breath again, and kept sucking normally for a bit. "You're one hell of a cocksucker. Hey, I wanna see your face."

Natsu pulled up with thick saliva dripping from his mouth. "And I wanna swallow you. I can't do it at any other angle."

Gray gently wiped a wet stream from Natsu's chin. "Then angle it like that when you deep-throat it, but look up at me when you're just sucking."

Natsu gave it a try. He went back down to suck on him, but this time he kept his face lifted a little more. Gray brushed the pink hair aside again, and Natsu glanced up with the cock poking into his cheek.

"Damn, you look hot," Gray hissed. "That's right, mouth-fuck me." Natsu moaned around him, giving vibrating pleasure all along Gray's shaft. "God, you sound so slutty. You like doing blow jobs, don't you? You love having a mouth full of cock. My little cocksucker!"

"Shut up." Natsu rose up and glared straight into Gray's eyes. "You talk too much." He shoved Gray to the ground and crawled on top.

Gray smirked up at him. "Chickened out? Gonna be the bitch after all?"

"Nope," Natsu said, trying to get lined up to take Gray inside of him. "I'm riding on top of you."

"Hey, don't do that yet," he warned.

"It's fine, you're wet."

"Yeah, but you're not prepped."

"I'll be fine."

"No, you won't be. It's your first time. Let me prep you."

"I said..."

"Natsu," Gray said sternly. "Stop being a whiny kid and let me do this properly. You'll seriously hurt yourself."

"Shut up!" he yelled, and Natsu forced himself down onto Gray's cock. For three whole seconds, he did not make a sound, but Gray sadly saw it was because Natsu's body had never known pain quite like that. It was only a matter of time before...

" _Holy fucking hell!_ "

...that.

"I told you, idiot. Now pull off."

Tears were running down Natsu's face. "No, I...I can handle it."

"Natsu..."

"I'm not weak," he lashed out, but moving hurt him even worse.

Gray grabbed Natsu and forcefully yanked him off. Pulling out hurt him as much as putting it in. Gray wrestled him to the floor, but Natsu did not put up much of a fight. Soon his hands were pinned, and Gray was on top.

"I was trying to tell you, you'll hurt yourself and it won't be enjoyable to me if you're dry and in pain. Now open up, let me see the damage."

Natsu tried to curl into a ball. "I don't want you to see it."

"I will seriously handcuff you in ice."

Slowly, Natsu uncurled and spread his legs. Gray got down to inspect his ass.

"Damn, you really did tear yourself. Let me put some medicine on."

"Gray..."

"Ya wanna be shitting blood? Shut up and hold still. I have an ointment."

Natsu kept his mouth closed as Gray crawled over to their gear, dug through his pack, and pulled out a stone jar. He watched with tears in his eyes as Gray opened the jar, scooped out some pungent cream, and rubbed it onto the sore hole.

"I ruined it, didn't I?" Natsu mumbled.

Gray kept focused on applying the cream. "You won't be an invalid just because you tore your asshole."

"I mean...the mood," Natsu frowned. "It was getting good."

Gray had to admit, his cock was still screaming for attention. Rubbing his cream-covered finger around Natsu's tiny opening was a torturous temptation. "It can still be good," he assured. "Just let me heal you first. How about a kiss to make it feel better." Gray leaned over and gave a kiss to the little puckered pink star.

"Ahh! No, don't do that. It's gross!" Natsu protested. However, he felt Gray's tongue lick him and poke into the tight hole. "You droopy eyed bastard! You're seriously messed up in the head. That's just sick, man!"

"Then let me have my sick fantasies," Gray chuckled, lathing his tongue over the asshole. "Do you not like it?"

"It's..."

"Does it feel bad?" he interrupted quickly, then Gray gave his hole another lick.

Natsu hissed between clenched teeth. "It...it's not...bad."

"Good. Then maybe we'll do this more another time." He pulled back.

Natsu looked up sharply. "You're stopping?" he shouted, and his voice almost cracked.

"Oh?" Gray chortled softly. "You liked it that much, huh? Too bad. That cream tastes pretty sour. I wanna taste _you_ , not medicinal cream."

"Bastard," Natsu growled, flopping back down. "You're just teasing me."

"Maybe," Gray smirked slyly. Slowly, he tested his finger against the puckered hole. Natsu went from being in tears to wiggling at the teasing. "You'll need cream inside as well," Gray whispered. He scooped more cream out, and with as much gentleness as he could, he slipped the finger inside. The cream let him slide in with almost no resistance.

"Nnngh!" Natsu moaned. "That's...good."

"This is what I wanted to do from the beginning, you idiot."

Natsu opened his eyes and glanced up at Gray. "How do you know what to do? Last time too, after the dancing, it was like it wasn't your first time."

Gray gave a casual shrug. "It wasn't. I could tell it was yours, though."

Natsu debated for a moment, his pout twisting one way, then the other. He knew he needed to ask or it would bother him too much. "Have you done this a lot?"

Gray's probing finger stopped, and his blue eyes flitted up in surprise at the jealous tone in Natsu's voice. "No, just...just with one other guy."

"Anyone I know?"

Now Gray blushed pink. "I'm not sure I should say."

"So someone from the guild. Elfman? Gajeel? Laxus?"

"Hell no!"

"Loke?"

The stricken look on Gray's face was answer enough. "Don't tell Lucy," he pleaded. "It was...just a thing, you know, just something we tried. I was drunk and curious, he was horny and willing."

"So you're not still together?"

Gray had to laugh at that. "How long does that flirtatious playboy stay in a relationship? He's Lucy's now. I bet those two have done it already, or if not, they probably will once she stops chasing after your pink tail."

"Huh? Me?" Natsu asked in confusion.

"See, you're so dense you can't even tell she likes you."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Lucy? But she's like...like a sister or something. Like Erza's like a sister. That'd be just...weird."

"And being with me isn't weird?"

"Nope! Because you aren't like a brother. You're just an asshole."

For that, Gray shoved two fingers in. Natsu let out a cry of shock.

"How about you?" Gray asked as Natsu squirmed. "Were you a virgin last time?"

"Sorry," he hissed through the pleasure. "You're not that lucky."

"But you said you were."

"No, I simply never answered your question."

Gray thought back and realized he was right. Natsu simply never said anything, so he had assumed the boy was totally innocent. "Okay...well, I let you come in my ass because I thought you were a virgin, but I guess...shit, you don't have... _viruses_ or anything, do you?"

"No, idiot!"

"Good. So, was it someone I know? Erza? Lisanna? I'm guessing it's not Lucy since you're too dense to notice her."

Natsu's hips snapped as Gray hit his prostate. "Fuck!"

"Tell me who," Gray demanded.

"It...was...C-Cana. A mission with her, before Lucy joined. She got me drunk."

"Don't tell me she raped you while you were smashed."

"Probably not," he mumbled, wrinkling his brow as he thought back to it. "I probably said yes. I don't remember the first part, and I only remember a little of when we were doing it."

"That's how she got me as well."

Natsu glared at him. "You screwed Cana, too? How many others?"

"Juvia, Mira, Laki before Tenrou Island, a couple chicks from Blue Pegasus..."

"Man-whore!"

"Says the guy who can't remember if he fucked or was raped."

"Should I find a condom so you don't give me your diseases?"

"If you want one."

"I'm starting to think I should."

"Bastard. Are you sayin' I'm dirty?"

"Yes, now get a fucking condom on so I don't catch your stripper virus."

Gray was going to argue, but he figured a condom would at least make cleanup easier. He went back to his bag and had to dig down deep to find the one he brought...just in case. "I don't have diseases," he mumbled as he opened the square package. "When it's girls, I always use a condom, and Loke is a Celestial Spirit so he doesn't get viruses. I'd be more worried about you and Cana. That girl gets around."

"I...um...checked," Natsu grumbled as he moved around to get on his hands and knees. "I'm clean. Still...unless you really don't like wearing it..."

"Nah, it's good. They're always tight, so it's almost like a cock ring."

"What's a cock ring?"

Gray chuckled and sidled up behind Natsu. "You really are innocent-minded. Maybe I'll get to teach you a few things." Then he looked down at Natsu's waiting ass and the taut muscles of his back. "Dog style?"

"I don't want you to see my face," he insisted.

Gray gently rubbed his hands over Natsu's body. "It's okay if it hurts. It always does at first. Just bear with it. Don't tense up. Make like you're trying to push me out. It'll help. You ready?"

"Yeah, I...I think so."

"Don't worry." Gray caressed his spine in a soothing, reassuring touch. "I'll treat you gently."

Natsu glared back. "Bastard, you better not treat me like some girl."

"Nope." Gray smiled honestly. "Like my lover."

Hearing him say those words stunned Natsu and made his cheeks burn brightly.

"Aww, you look so cute when you blush like that."

"Shut the hell up and do it already!" he shouted.

Gray gripped himself for stability, then carefully lined up and began to push in. The cream helped a bit, but he felt instant resistance. Natsu clenched his teeth at the pain and fisted up his hands.

"Loosen up," Gray urged softly. "Push out, like you're gonna shit on me."

"I might if you make this hurt," Natsu snapped.

"It'll hurt if you tense up. I'm not even in yet. Relax. Slow breath in, now hold it." He watched Natsu following his direction. "When you breathe out, push outward at your ass."

Natsu did, and Gray easily slipped inside the looser muscles.

"Will you look at that! A flame-brain can follow instructions."

Natsu glared back. "Are you just gonna sit there or are you gonna move?"

Gray chuckled at his eagerness. "I'm letting you adjust, stupid."

"You're not big enough to need much _adjusting_."

That irked Gray, and in revenge he thrust in all the way so hard, they both collapsed onto the floor. Natsu let out bellowing profanity while Gray moaned at the fiery heat that now enveloped him.

"Holy shit, you're hot inside," he yelled, completely stunned at the burning sensation.

Natsu panted out a laugh and glanced back with an arrogant grin. "Too hot to handle?"

Gray flinched and pulled back. Getting out of that human furnace was a relief, yet the masochist in him wanted more of that searing pain. He plunged back in, and Natsu groaned loudly. Gray wondered which one was hurting the most right now: Natsu because it was his first time getting taken, or Gray because the dragon slayer's inner body was like sinking into a boiling hot spring.

Yet, like a hot spring, the temperature got better over time. After a minute of slow thrusts, Gray felt he could handle those inner flames. Natsu was loosened and moaning more than cringing. Now when Gray pulled out, the air felt icy compared to the heat. Gray loved that cold feel against his skin. He wanted the heat that titillated his skin, and he wanted the coldness that soothed like a potent balm.

Hot and cold, fire and ice, summer and winter, Natsu and Gray.

They reflected one another, complimented one another, conflicted and clashed as eternal opposites, yet they made a perfect balance, like yin and yang.

Gray craved that summer heat so badly. He began to feel a deep passion, something that had not existed during their first night together. At that time, it was about lust, not wanting to lose in their _fight_. Now, as he knelt behind Natsu and listened to the pink-haired man moan with each thrust and curse softly under his breath, Gray felt a chill strike his heart.

Why was he feeling this way suddenly? It annoyed him, and he tried to push aside the emotions by focusing on carnal lust.

"Oh fuck, Gray! Whatever you just did, do it more!"

Hearing Natsu beg like that thrilled Gray! His speed began to increase, thrusting into the summer, then pulling out to the winter. Natsu's heady cries drove him on, yet staring at the dragon slayer's back was getting boring. Gray suddenly pulled out, grabbed Natsu's shoulders, and harshly flipped him. The shocked boy hit his head hard on the ground and bruised a shoulder at the rough force.

"What the hell was that for?" Natsu yelled in anger.

Gray pinned him down and climbed between Natsu's legs. "I wanna see those sexy faces you're making."

For a moment, Natsu's face turned red enough to match Erza's hair, and his eyes went wider than Lucy's. Then he glared hard. "I said I don't want you to see."

"Too bad," Gray said curtly, and he began to seek out Natsu's opening.

The dragon slayer shoved him back. "I said I don't want you to see. If you wanna fuck me, we're doing it in the other position."

"Not happening." Gray pinned him down again. "You can be cute and bashful another day. Today, I wanna see your face as you come."

Having it stated so bluntly embarrassed Natsu even more. He struggled under Gray, and they grappled for a moment. Natsu tried to flip him. He managed to get Gray on his back for a moment, but Gray quickly flipped Natsu back over. Gray saw that they were nearing the porch. If they got too close, someone might see. He decided to get rough. Natsu took a swinging punch, but Gray caught it and formed ice around the hand. Natsu screamed at the cold, and Gray took the couple seconds of frozen shock to slam the hand down to a nearby bolted-in tall lamp. He then forced the other hand there also and iced the two behind the lamp pole. It took a second for Natsu to realize what just happened to him.

"You bastard!" he screamed, and Natsu yanked the ice shackles against the pole. However, it was solid steel and bolted down tightly. He definitely could have broken it if he had not been in such an awkward position. As he was, the best he could do was dent the pole a little. Even that was surprising to Gray. At least he knew his ice held up good against lamp posts.

"This is a perfect position," Gray smirked, and he grabbed Natsu's thighs to force them apart.

"Stop!" Natsu shouted, trying to squeeze his legs closed. However, Gray's upper body strength was better than Natsu's lower body. It was a struggle, but Gray managed to keep from getting crushed between those powerful legs. "Gray, I'm serious. I don't want it this way."

"You're just being shy," he dismissed. "Now stop wiggling. I can't line up."

"Hey, bastard!" Natsu yelled. "When someone tells you to stop and you don't, isn't that normally called rape?"

Gray considered it for a moment. "You're right," he acknowledged. Natsu sighed in relief. "In that case, consider yourself raped." Without warning, he thrust hard into the dragon slayer.

"You fucker!" Natsu bellowed.

* * *

Out in the hot springs, the girls heard Natsu's crying shout. Lucy frowned that their _pillow battle_ was sounding more vicious than normal. It was also weird that it was mostly Natsu shouting in pain. Was Gray really that good at fighting with pillows?

"Sheesh, are those two still at it?" she sighed, and splashed a little water over her bare, cold shoulders. "They just don't know when to quit. And can't they tell that the whole ryokan can hear their fight?"

Erza looked over in shock. Lucy...was surprisingly naïve. Even now, after the mewling cries and heated grunts, did she really think it was only a pillow fight? Erza had half a mind to take this moment to explain things to the innocent girl, but then again, Erza was getting really turned on listening to those two boys. If she began a serious talk with Lucy, it meant she would have to stop teasing herself down below the steamy water.

"Oh God! Gray, st-... _aaahn!_ "

Then they heard a low murmur, probably Gray teasing the loud boy about his volume, because the next cry was soft, a badly suppressed moan that sounded even more erotic than the angry bellows. Erza could hardly help herself. A single finger slipped inside herself. Luckily, her hand could do all sorts of things below the water without moving her shoulders or rippling the waves. Not enough to get her thoroughly worked, yet enough to ease the throbs that Natsu's keening and Gray's groaning were creating.

"Erza, are you okay?" Lucy asked. "You're getting flushed. Have you been in too long?"

The Titania was not quite done pleasuring herself. "It's not the heat. It's emotional."

"Eh? Emotional?" Lucy asked, but suddenly she thought of something. "Ah! You mean you're flushed with anger about those two boys."

Erza was still amused at Lucy's innocence. "I'm definitely going to have a talk with them about keeping their volume down."

* * *

"Gray," Natsu whimpered. He had already been warned that his bombastic shouts were easy for Erza and Lucy to hear, but keeping quiet was surprisingly hard.

"Do you want me to stop?" the ice mage asked mockingly, thrusting more into him. "If I stop now, I'm not starting up again."

Natsu fiercely did not want to show Gray the face he made when he came. He did not want Gray to see when the cum shot out. He was unsure why showing these things was so embarrassing now, but he felt mortified and humiliated being placed on his back like this. If he had truly wanted to escape, he could have breathed fire into Gray's face and be done with the damn stripper. However, Natsu did not resort to that, because for how much he did not want to show that weakest of all moments, he also did not want Gray to stop.

"Stop or more?" the raven-haired man teased.

Natsu clenched his teeth in anger, yet he could not fight his insatiable lust. "M-more."

Gray smirked at his obedience, bent over, and gave Natsu a kiss. With serious eyes, he gave a reassuring smile. "How about if I close my eyes right at that moment?"

Natsu thought about it, then nodded. So long as Gray was not watching him, he could let go and be as wild as he wanted. That fortified him a bit, and Natsu began to buck up into Gray's hips. That added thrust made Gray hiss and curse softly.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Gray said in a boasting tone.

Natsu gritted his teeth and spoke between thrusts. "You're... _nnngh_...not bad."

Gray pulled out again, making Natsu whine.

"Oh come on! I said you weren't bad," the dragon slayer protested.

"Quiet. I wanna try something. This might be awkward, but try to work with me. Keep your shoulders planted firmly and hold onto that pole so you don't slip."

Gray then grabbed Natsu's legs and hooked them over his shoulders. That did not seem too bad, but then the ice mage began to move up higher, lifting Natsu until only his shoulders were on the floor. Then he took the muscular legs, hooked the ankles around the pole, and placed an icy binding around them.

"What the hell is this?" Natsu questioned.

"Is it too painful?" Gray asked, standing up and using his hands to hold Natsu's raised ass in place. "I can brace you a bit."

"Yeah, that's better," Natsu decided hesitantly. "Still, what are you...?"

His question was answered soon enough when Gray leaned over slightly and slammed down into him. The angle was so foreign, Natsu could not even shout at first. His brain tried to figure out what was going on. The blood rushing to his head only increased the total inability to think. All he could do was feel as Gray bore down on him, almost thrusting Natsu's whole body into the bolted down lamp pole.

At last, some bit of thought rushed into Natsu's brain and overloaded it. "Holy shit, Gray, that feels awesome!"

Gray had to laugh at him. "Not bad, eh?"

"Where the hell did you learn this?"

"Dunno. Just thought it'd be different."

Natsu clenched at the pole to steady his shoulders. "Shit...fuck, I hate you."

"Hah!" Gray barked. "Feels that good, huh?"

"Hell yes," the dragon slayer hissed. "Come on, Gray. Touch me."

Gray grabbed the cock that was now dangling face down. "Angled like this, you're gonna blow onto your face. You know what would be hot? If you caught your own cum in your mouth. It could be a cool game, see if I can aim you right."

Gray suddenly heard something like glass shattering, and sparkles of ice flew past him. Two hard legs came down onto his shoulders, almost breaking the collar bone. The ice mage was slammed down onto his knees hard, yet somehow he managed to stay inside Natsu, who was now sneering at him with his legs wrapped around Gray's neck.

"A game, huh?" the dragon slayer growled. "You think that's funny?"

Gray swallowed hard at the burning glare in those pale green eyes. Why was Natsu suddenly so serious? He was just joking a little. Could it be that Natsu was truly serious about this...thing...pairing? Was it a relationship? Gray was unsure what it was that existed between them. What did Natsu think of it?

"No more stunts, droopy eyes. Get rid of these cuffs and fuck me properly, or you lose."

Gray found this assertive Natsu even more sexy than the bashful one. That narrow, squinty glare sent shivers through him. He released the icy shackles. As if to make sure he was not trapped against any other objects, Natsu wrapped his arms around Gray's neck and yanked him down until their noses were almost touching.

"Now fuck me," the dragon slayer demanded.

Gray nearly came right then, and only steeling his abdominal muscles prevented any premature end to their little dance of lust. He slammed fast now while jerking rough and mercilessly on Natsu's engorged cock. No more teasing about slutty moans, no more warning him about keeping quiet...no, those loud shouts were music to his ears, and he wanted to dance inside of Natsu for hours.

Except, he was about to come... _now!_

"Ahnnn...G-Gray!" Natsu roared.

The dragon slayer grabbed his partner's shoulders and dug his nails in. Fire lit up on his hands, and those gripping fingers burned marks into the ice mage's skin. Gray howled from the pain, and his rhythm became wild. His teeth clenched as his whole body felt ready to break apart and shatter like an ice cube dropped into boiling water.

"Nngh...Gray, I'm...I'm about to... _oh fuck!_ " Natsu howled, and his back arched right up off the floor.

Gray knew he had promised to close his eyes at this part, but he watched with fascination. Natsu was beyond sexy as his cock shot off a perfect arc of milky fluid. He was... _angelic!_ Just like that vision with the feathers, only this time it was purely Natsu.

It was too much for Gray. He came suddenly and he came hard, not even enough time to warn Natsu. He made a long, drawn out moan as he felt his cock gush into the condom and the euphoric rush of an intensely powerful orgasm. All of his muscles strained at once, and the veins on his neck popped out from the hormonal high. His eyes squeezed shut, completely surrendering to his seraphic lover.

The world fell silent suddenly. Every nerve sensory seemed to be alive and sensitive. Noises they had not noticed before became audible again. Natsu sniffed and realized that the room reeked of musky sex. Gray listened to Natsu's panting. That sound of post-coital exhaustion was almost as arousing as the keening mewls from earlier.

"Did...did you close your eyes?" Natsu asked wearily.

Gray wanted to chuckle at that worried tone. "They're still closed, aren't they?"

"But did you close them at that moment?"

Gray was about to lie, but he decided that being truthful was also a good way to tease him. "Nope. Saw it. Sorry, I forgot."

Natsu's eyes narrowed in fury. "You promised, Gray!" He sounded hurt and disappointed.

The ice mage pulled out and leaned over so far, his nose touched the dragon slayer's. "Can you blame me for forgetting when I'm with someone so good?"

That appeased Natsu a bit. "It was all right? Even though I didn't want to do that weird position?"

"Meh," Gray shrugged. He rolled over to Natsu's side and stared up at the ceiling as he caught his breath. "It was just something I thought we could try. If you don't like something, we don't have to do it. It's no fun unless both of us like it."

Natsu looked away. "I...I wouldn't say I didn't like it. Everything you did...it...it felt...really damn good. Didn't hurt much, either."

"Of course," Gray smirked. "I told you, right? I'm a fucking sex god."

"You conceited droopy-eyed stripper..."

"But," Gray interrupted before Natsu could really work up into a good insult. He rolled back over and placed a hand on the other side of Natsu, rising up halfway and hovering just over his torso while staring down into those squinty eyes he loved so much. "If I'm a sex god, you're my angel of lust."

Natsu was stunned speechless for a moment, then he felt conflicted, and finally he glared at Gray. "I told you not to treat me like a girl! Angel?" His whole body lit on fire, and Gray had to move back fast. "Do I look like a fucking angel?"

"Well, now you don't," Gray muttered.

The ice mage collapsed back down, too exhausted to fight. To his surprise, Natsu simmered down, scooted over, and laid close enough so their shoulders touched. Nothing more intimate, no cuddling, but even this much was more than Gray had expected. Strong emotions began to stir up in Gray's heart again. Although he tried to ice them, they nagged and troubled him.

"Hey Natsu?"

"Whazzup?" he mumbled sleepily.

Gray rolled over to face him for this serious question. Then he saw Natsu lying there; he noticed the hickeys left behind, plus some bruising slowly rising on his wrists and ankles from the ice cuffs. There was something he wanted to ask, a question that burned worse than any of Natsu's flames. However, looking at his friend-and-rival (and now lover?) he could not say the words. If he asked, it might change everything.

Gray closed his mouth and looked aside. This started off as purely a fight of carnal desires. Now, to Gray, it was becoming something more. But how did Natsu feel? What did he think about this "thing" that was suddenly happening to them? Did he see it as a relationship, or as just another competition with his rival?

Gray didn't have the nerve to ask.

"You win this round," Gray said in defeat.

Natsu opened his eyes in shock. "But...but you made me come first."

Gray shrugged languorously. "I broke one of the rules."

Natsu hummed in confusion. "Oh! Because you looked at me. Hah!" he shouted. "That's right, you stripper. So I win this time. Next round will decide it."

Gray laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. "Next round, huh?"

Was it all a competition? Or was there something more to this _fight_?

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Closet Challenge

Natsu woke up in the ryokan on his futon, dressed in pajamas and surprisingly clean. He even lifted his shirt to look at his body, which had been a sticky white mess the night before, when any thoughts of washing up were forgotten in a desperate need for sleep. Now he was squeaky clean. The pajamas were also a shock, considering he had fallen asleep naked. He glanced over to where Gray slept on the other side of the room, sprawled out on his bed, totally naked with only the blanket hiding the naughty bits.

Had Gray cleaned him, dressed him, and tucked him into bed? The cleanup seemed plausible. They were probably both messy after a night like that. Putting him into bed was odd, but it was not that far to drag him from where they had passed out to where the futon was placed.

But dressing him? He didn't think Gray could easily dress himself, let alone someone else!

Since when was the stripper so gentle with his relationships?

Natsu silently cursed himself. Relationships? This wasn't a _relationship_. To put this...this _thing_ between them—whatever it was—into that sort of category was...well, it was simply too good to be true.

So what was it?

Natsu did not have an answer just yet, and thinking about it made him uncomfortable. Although he now knew that Gray had relationships with men in the past—or at least a brief fling with Loke—it still felt like they were together purely to antagonize one another. These feelings that had been building up inside him were surely one-sided. There was no way Gray was in love with him. The ice bastard would never want a truly romantic relationship with his rival. Natsu knew that for Gray, this was just a new form of challenging each other, as well as a way to let off steam. It was fighting...that just so happened to involve sex.

But a relationship? That was too much to hope for.

Gray was sexy; Natsu had thought that for some time now. He possessively felt like Gray should be his. Their fights showed how much he admired the man. How often did he challenge Laxus, or Elfman, or Bickslow? But Gray...Natsu challenged him at every opportunity, because he saw an equal in the ice mage.

He had been the one to initiate things last night by reminding Gray of their last time together. Yet it had been Gray who kissed him first. So what did Gray think of this... _thing_ that couldn't possibly be a relationship?

Natsu was unsure, and he had no idea how to ask something that embarrassing. Just thinking about it made his cheeks turn hot. He only knew that this small act of kindness affected the way he felt about Gray. The pure lust he felt the first time had changed last night. Gray had been tender, wild, kinky, and attentive, all in a single lovemaking session. Natsu thought about how gentle he had been caring for his hurt anus, applying medicine, and kissing it...although he still thought that was weird and disgusting.

The ice bastard had a tender side after all, and it was affecting the way Natsu saw his rival.

Could they possibly have a relationship? Was that even something Natsu wanted?

As he watched Gray breathing heavily in sleep, Natsu truly had no answer. Part of him just wanted to beat Gray by proving himself to be better...however long that took! Another part of him was sick of dismissing all of this as a mere challenge of sexual prowess. He wanted to hold Gray and sit together in a tender moment of silence. That was not their type of relationship, though.

So what was it? What could they do? What could they not do? What exactly did Natsu want? What did Gray want? Where was this _fight_ going?

"It hurts my head," Natsu mumbled with a pout. He was not used to questioning things this much.

Before he could consider it too deeply—which would have been unlike Natsu anyway—the door to their room flung open and Erza stormed in. Her face was dark, and Natsu squeaked in terror.

Gray jolted awake at the woman's armored shoes clanking into the room. "Oh shit," he whispered as he rubbed out his eyes. He knew it! Natsu must have been way too loud last night.

"Emergency call from Master," she announced. "Max was tracking a smuggler and came across an entire slave trade operation who use mages to capture young women."

"Oh!" Natsu perked up. "I've come across something like that before. That's how I met Lucy."

"Precisely. Probably the same ringleader. Their shipment leaves at 4:00 P.M. today. Max called for backup, and we're the closest team in the area. Get up, I don't care how sore your asses are!"

"Aye, sir!" squeaked Natsu.

"Erza," Gray shouted out as she began to turn. The Titania looked back sternly, and Gray shrank back a little. "You're not gonna tell anyone about...about anything you might have heard last night, right?"

Natsu looked over in worry. Why would he want to keep it a secret? Was Gray really that ashamed? Did he not want anyone to know out of humiliation? Part of Natsu's hopes dropped.

Erza considered it for a moment. She glanced over to Natsu, who had a rather stupid look on his face, something like a mix of confusion, curiosity, and worry. Finally, she closed her eyes to keep herself passive. "It's not my place to say anything. You and Natsu are grown men. Lucy doesn't know, if that's of any relief."

"Thanks," Gray sighed, and he smiled over at Natsu.

The dragon slayer eyed him, but now he was even more confused. Did this mean Gray really did not want a relationship, or was he just trying to prevent rumors from spreading before both of them finished their _fight_?

He put these questions aside. There were innocent women to save before they were shipped off to some bordello in a foreign country.

* * *

Natsu could hardly believe he was running away. He _never_ ran from fights! He would have stayed and fought on if Erza had not screamed at him to get away, and even that normally would not have been enough to make him abandon her. It was Gray forming an ice handcuff over Natsu's arms, making it impossible for him to fight, then yanking him by the scarf, which finally forced him into this shameful retreat.

"Goddammit!" he yelled as he raced down a dimly lit hall.

Gray said nothing, but his sneer was enough. Natsu saw in the Ice-Make mage's face, this was not what he would have chosen. He was following orders in hopes of freeing not only the captured girls, but now Lucy and Erza, too.

"Max's intel was _total_ wrong," snarled Gray. "What the hell was he thinking? 'Two or three medium-level mages,' my ass! Shit, shit, shit!"

They turned a corner, but both froze and backed into their hallway quickly. Gray flattened Natsu against the wall with his arm. Their panting was loud, but luckily the grumble of machinery in this docking bay drowned them out. Gray carefully formed a mirror of ice in his hand and angled it around the corner to see who was coming. A man in a wide stetson hat stepped closer to them.

"Dammit, it's him," Gray hissed.

He looked around frantically, then grabbed Natsu's frozen arms and pulled him into an empty room. It was wide, like someone's office, with a desk that was too small to hide under, some bookshelves that would not easily be moved, a window looking out over a five-story drop, and a huge wardrobe near the back. Gray ran toward that and opened it. There were some white jumpers used by workers handling toxic wastes, thin enough to be shoved aside. Then Gray practically threw Natsu into the closet and leaped in after him. He shut the wardrobe door firmly, and all light in the closet winked out. Only a thin sliver leaked through where the two doors met.

Natsu finally shattered the ice cuffs. He shoved Gray against the side paneling, nearly tipping the whole wardrobe over.

"What the hell?" roared the dragon slayer. "It's bad enough that we ran away when Erza got caught, but now we're hiding like cowards."

"Natsu, we can't get caught."

Gray straightened up, but he saw Natsu about to open the door. He worked fast, icing the entire space between the twin doors, sealing them in a lock that would not easily break, not without destroying the entire wardrobe.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natsu shouted in rage. "Erza said to get Lucy."

"Lucy's been taken, too. Erza didn't know that. What she said was to get Lucy and get out of here until help arrives. You saw her fight with that runes mage. We can't battle him in his own booby trap. He could trap us in a runes field and simply suck all the air out, like he did to Erza. He doesn't have to lift a finger, and nothing can break out of runes like that." Gray rubbed out a sore rib that was nearly cracked during the fight to get into this docking bay. "Look, we're on the inside."

"So what?" snapped Natsu.

"When Freed and Levy arrive with backup, we can let them in. They'll know how to rewrite the runes and free Erza, Lucy, and Max."

"That'll take too long."

"Freed was already dispatched. He said it would take him three hours. That was two and a half hours ago. He should be here in thirty minutes. Levy was coming right behind him. We need to let them both inside. Those two are strong, but breaking and entering isn't their specialty. So long as we're on the inside, we can get the others in, and we can win this fight. Just calm down and wait it out."

Natsu tried to calm himself. Really, he did. He counted to ten...rather quickly. He breathed deeply in and out...through snarling teeth. He recited spiritual poetry...of his own invention.

_Lord, confound this icy wizard,_  
 _Freeze his pants with snow and blizzard._  
 _Make him gasp and gag and grapple_  
 _As you squeeze his Adam's apple._  
 _Let him burn in flames of summer._  
 _This asshole can't get much dumber._  
 _Lord, this judgment swiftly send him_  
 _Before I kill Gray on a whim._

It made him smile, but it did not really help. Not even five minutes passed before he stood up straight again.

"I can't sit and wait."

He pounded his fists together, ready to burn the whole closet down, when suddenly two arms wrapped around him. They startled Natsu, and feeling the icy aura of Gray's skin made him unable to think straight.

"Keep calm," Gray whispered into his ear, giving Natsu shivers. "Just twenty-five more minutes, Natsu. Keep quiet and calm just that long."

Natsu was about to protest the embrace when he heard with his sharp ears the sounds of approaching heels. He stood still, silencing his breathing as well as possible, although Gray's closeness made his heart pound wildly.

"I know you wanna run out there, but think of something else," Gray said soothingly.

Natsu hated to admit that he was already thinking of something else. He wanted this to be something different, a more passionate embrace, a more romantic location, like Gray holding him as they watched the sunset over the ocean, that sort of thing.

Then he felt cold air on the side of his neck. Natsu shivered, and without realizing it, his head tipped away so he could feel more.

"It's weird. You smell...good," Gray whispered heatedly.

Natsu felt something soft and cold on the nuque of his neck. He went stiff as he heard Gray sniffing him. A tingle shot through his whole body, and he could practically feel the blood rushing southward.

"What...what are you doing?" the dragon slayer whispered, his voice trembling.

"Nothin'. Smelling you. It's weird. Are you wearing cologne or something? I didn't think you'd be the type to use those sorts of things."

"I'm not. Cologne and perfume hurt my nose."

"It's...musky. Smoky? Like incense. I guess I never actually smelled you before. Weird."

Gray's nose slid down Natsu's neck again, and the sensitive scar felt the cold air from that icy nose. Natsu squirmed and tried to pull away, but there was no room to escape. His breathing was getting quicker with arousal.

"S-stop sniffing me."

"Why?"

The way Gray asked that pissed off Natsu a little. Was he doing this on purpose? Was he teasing him? Was Gray simply still aroused from last night?

"You probably smell me all the time," Gray reasoned. "What do I smell like to you?"

Natsu shifted awkwardly in the cramped closet. "Like...like bastard breath and droopiness and...and...and snow," he replied softly, letting his voice die away. "And pine trees. You smell like a snowy forest."

Gray leaned up and blinked in surprise. He had expected the insults, or maybe awkward descriptions of his shampoo. He had not thought that he had a smell under the fragrant cleaning supplies he used.

The hands holding Natsu began to loosen and drift. Gray could feel the dragon slayer's heat rising, and he doubted Natsu even realized that his ass had scooted back a little. But Gray sure felt it! The two muscular globes pressed right against his groin, tempting him.

"Do you like my smell, Natsu?" he whispered right into the flushed ear of his rival.

When Natsu gulped down hard, he knew Gray probably heard it. His eyes shifted back and forth, wondering if he could escape this closet and the embarrassment of answering that question. Sadly, there was no escape from either.

"Y-yeah," he replied in a breathy hiss. "Smells...good...I guess. That's the only good thing about you," he insisted stubbornly.

Gray chuckled silently. He really did have a tsundere to deal with!

They both knew they were in danger, this was not the time and definitely not the place, yet Gray could hardly help it. The heated moans of the previous night returned to his ears. The feel of Natsu, the heat inside of him, the memory of that look on his face as he reached ecstasy, was forever burned into his mind. The branding mark on his soul still sizzled, and his body refused to ignore it.

"Here's a competition for you," Gray said smugly. "You were so damn noisy last night, now Erza knows about this."

"So?" Natsu asked with a frown.

Another competition? He was almost hoping Gray was doing this out of some mutual feeling. And who cared if Erza knew? Natsu didn't mind. Even if the whole guild found out, he didn't care!

"It's time to punish you," Gray said in a sly whisper, and his fingers glided under Natsu's vest.

Natsu knew he was in trouble. His cock practically leaped straight up at Gray's seductive threat. "Bastard," he hissed. "At a time like this? Is sex the only thing on your mind?"

"When I'm with you, yeah," Gray answered, and he gave Natsu's ear a nip.

Natsu almost moaned, but he thought he heard shouts down the hall.

"Make a noise and you lose."

"Not fair," Natsu panted out as Gray's hands slid up to his chest and traced around his burning nipples. "There's no way I can make you lose. This is a one-sided competition."

"Okay, then it's a personal challenge and not part of our two-out-of-three challenge."

"Not now," Natsu growled softly, and he gritted his teeth hard as Gray's fingers flicked his nipples.

"We have to wait thirty minutes, Natsu," Gray said, stopping all movement while he explained. "I'm scared, okay? I'm worried to death about Erza and Lucy. I don't even want to think what those bastards might do to them. Still, we can't fight that runes mage on our own. If he can capture Erza, he'd easily get us. We have to keep low and wait for backup. That sort of wait will drive us both crazy, and we'll end up doing something stupid."

"Doing _this_ is stupid," Natsu snarled.

"Maybe," Gray admitted, "but I doubt I could just sit here in a closet with you and _not_ want to touch you again."

Natsu glanced behind him in surprise. Gray's face looked serious and seductively dangerous. Natsu realized Gray was not just doing this as a meaningless competition. He looked like a starving man eying a piece of angus steak.

"Not a sound," he said again, and suddenly Gray pinched both of Natsu's nipples hard.

His spine arched, his hips thrust back into Gray, and he slammed his hands against the doors of the closet to keep himself stabilized, yet Natsu made no vocal sound at all. All Gray heard was a stuttering inhale through the nose and a hard swallow. However, unable to vocalize it, Natsu's body reacted stronger than ever.

"You're so sexy," he moaned into the dragon slayer's ear while his fingers tweaked and tugged. "I think torturing you for thirty minutes is going to be fun."

"Asshole," Natsu hissed. "If I can't talk, you shouldn't be able to either."

"That's not a rule, and you're technically already breaking the rules."

"I never said I agreed to this, you..."

Gray nipped on Natsu's ear at the same time as he twisted the perked nipples. Natsu's head went sharply down as he struggled to hold back a groan.

Gray chortled slyly. "You didn't agree, yet you're following my orders."

"Idiot. If I make a sound, we'll be discovered."

"You want to fight, right?" Gray teased. "So let them hear you. Moan for me, Natsu. Moan loud enough for them to hear you."

Now he was angry, and Natsu decided he would not give Gray the pleasure of hearing him.

Gray felt the body in front of him shiver with lust. He knew not to do so much that Natsu really would cry out. It was a delicate balance: keep Natsu distracted with the idea of a competition, yet not let the dragon slayer actually lose and give away their location. This was going to be just as much a challenge for him as it was for Natsu.

Because really, Gray wanted to do much more than just touch this man.

As the heat rose in the closet, Gray tugged off his belt and let his pants fall away. He pulled on Natsu's vest, tugging it, and the dragon slayer allowed it to be removed. Gray's back felt cold against him, and with just his boxers on, Natsu felt the stiffness in the ice mage's underwear. He arched his ass back, gliding over the stiff cock behind him. Gray hissed at the feel.

"Same goes to you, droopy eyes. Don't make a sound." Natsu had a smug smile at the chance to get back a little.

Gray's hands glided over the taut chest and up his neck, making Natsu tilt his chin up to feel those icy fingers. Then Gray dragged his nails down Natsu's throat, scratching at his skin and making the dragon slayer hiss. One hand went back up to Natsu's face, stroked over his mouth, and then two fingers pressed between the burning lips.

Natsu jolted at the intrusion. He felt Gray stroke his tongue, and tears of frustration came to his eyes. He wanted Gray so badly, but he could not allow anything that might lead to them getting caught. Then Lucy and Erza would never get rescued. Still, he lapped at those fingers, slid his tongue between them, and sucked them hard into his mouth.

"Fuck," Gray panted into the blushed ear. "I want you right now, Natsu."

Suddenly, the door to the office opened. They both froze in horror. Natsu tensed up and bit down onto the two fingers. Gray flinched, but he could not remove his hand now.

"Search for them!" came a shout. "Two men, black and pink hair. The boss wants them dead."

Gray glared out the narrow slit between the two wardrobe doors, but the view was distorted by the ice he had used to seal the gap. He grabbed Natsu around the chest and hugged him closer. He felt oddly protective suddenly, despite the idiot biting his fingers.

He saw shadows moving in the room, looking out the window for clues, and checking under the desk. It was only a matter of time before they checked the closet. Then Gray noticed one man walking their way.

Natsu almost made a grunt, so Gray yanked his fingers out of the dragon slayer's mouth and slapped his hand over his lips. He pulled Natsu even further back, shielding him. It was only three men. They could probably fight them easily, but a fight would attract others. Maybe they could escape out the window. An ice slide from this floor down to the ground was a possibility, but being in the open exposed them. The runes mage did not need much to find them and trap them. Stepping into an opened space had been Erza's downfall.

The memory of seeing Erza trapped, her panicked face as she looked around and ordered them to get Lucy and leave, just before she fell over in unconsciousness from having the air sucked out of the rune zone, replayed in Gray's mind. They could do nothing to rescue her. Then they found Lucy also trapped and unconscious, too late to get to her. They barely missed getting killed three times. These traffickers only wanted women. They did not care about men. They were out to kill Gray and Natsu.

Like hell Gray would let them hurt Natsu! He watched the enemy drawing closer and sneered as the hand prepared to grab the closet handle. They would find it sealed, and that would be the end of their hiding.

"Get back here, bitch!"

The shout in the hallway yanked away the men searching the room. There was the sound of many feet running, and the three men ran out to see what was the trouble.

"Get her, she's escaping!"

Natsu jolted at the shouts. "Erza?"

Gray slapped his hand over the dragon slayer's mouth. He balked at being silenced, but Gray knew that even if one of the girls had broken out, it was only one. They needed to rescue all of the girls, and with the runes mage still on the loose, any attempted escape would fail.

"Got her! Resume the search."

Gray waited. Five minutes ticked by like an hour, yet no one returned to this room. Perhaps they forgot which room they had investigated. In any case, they were alone again.

"Can you stop hugging me so closely," Natsu grumbled. "My back is going numb from the cold."

Gray released him with a hurt expression. Carefully, Natsu bent over in the narrow closet and grabbed his vest.

"You're an asshole, Gray," he grumbled. "You play with me, teasing me to make a noise and get us caught, then when there really is a chance of us being captured, you act all high-and-mighty, like you could protect me, like I'm your fucking fragile princess." His narrow eyes glared in the dim light. "I don't like being toyed with. I will punch you unconscious if you try something like that again."

Gray flinched at the threat. He had not meant it to be mean. He liked watching Natsu squirm. The way his face looked when he felt aroused was a major turn-on. Gray enjoyed pleasuring him. However, he could not tell Natsu these things. He barely understood it himself. He wanted to touch the dragon slayer, to feel his hot body, yet he figured Natsu would think that was weird.

Natsu was only doing this for that damn competition anyway. That was why Gray asked Erza to keep it a secret. He wanted to protect Natsu's honor...if the dragon slayer had any. In any case, he did not want Natsu to feel humiliated. He wanted this thing between them, whatever it was, to continue just a little longer. Even if he had to use the stupid competition as an excuse, even if this was nothing special to Natsu, still...he was addicted! He wanted to touch Natsu all the time now. He wanted to feel that hot mouth on him. He wanted to enter that burning body, and then have Natsu enter him and fill him with fiery internal heat.

He wanted more than just a damn rivalry.

But he was fairly certain Natsu did not feel the same. Especially now, the way the dragon slayer scowled at him just because he had touched him like that.

They stood in awkward silence for a long time, shifting their weight as they stood in the cramped space. Finally, Gray realized the thirty minutes were over. They needed to make their way to the front to let Freed and Levy in. Then it would be time for a battle and a rescue. Gray released the ice sealing the door and finally opened the wardrobe. Natsu stepped out quickly and breathed fresh air. Gray's foresty smell had been overwhelming him.

"Hey...um..." Gray twisted his lips together in worry. "I'm sorry, okay?" he mumbled. "I got carried away."

Natsu thought that embarrassed look on Gray was rather cute. "That's fine, just not when we're in the middle of a fight," he said, shrugged it off. "Let's go!"

Gray paused. _That's...fine?_ Was Natsu okay with Gray touching him? Was this a subtle invitation for more? He shook his head. Natsu didn't _do_ subtle! It was all so confusing, and figuring it out had to wait. They had nakama to rescue first.

**End of Chapter 3**

* * *

_A/N: I know, it's been months since I updated. However, thanks to suggestions from reviewers and some inspiration from the ZoSan doujin "Pink Martini," this chapter will not be counted as one of their "2 out of 3" contest. So basically, it's a bonus chapter. The third 'fight" happens next chapter._

_That poem Natsu recites is my own, inspired by J.M. Synge's "The Curse." Funny-ass poem! Google it. Also, I learned a new word: nuque. It's the back of your neck. And here I always thought people said "nook of the neck" and meant where the neck and collar met. Nope: nuque. Yay for learning new words!_


	4. Tie Breaker

Gray knew Natsu looked best amidst flames, but as he danced around a bonfire celebrating the New Year in some island town, Gray thought Natsu truly looked in his element. The southern island was hot despite the New Year, the towering blaze was the perfect backdrop, and Natsu wore a crimson yukata, dancing and occasionally breathing fire for the children. He was surprisingly good around children. Maybe it was because he was childish himself. Gray was reminded how Gildarts loved playing with the guild children. Although he was the strongest mage in the guild—and potentially the most destructive—around kids Gildarts became a loving uncle.

Natsu had inherited that quality, and Gray felt he could watch the fire-idiot dancing with eight-year-olds all night long.

As the night dragged on, the children went to bed, and only adults were left. Then the sake came out, barrels of wine were rolled forward, and the dancing became more provocative. Now instead of little children, it was sultry island women who slithered up against Natsu. He drew back in a panic. Kids were one thing, but women...he was no good around women.

"Amateur."

Natsu heard the word whispered into his ear and jolted. Gray shoved him out of the fire-lit circle, grinned at the ladies, and began to dance.

Natsu frowned and pulled away to get something to drink. Gray was in his element again. Dancing! The stupid, droopy-eyed, stripping, Dancing Ice Prince of Fairy Tail! Natsu glared as Gray took each lady for a spin, totally unashamed of his body, knowing how to work his hips and arms.

It was just like that dance, the one that started it all. Gray simply looked good dancing.

Too good!

Natsu glared hard. He wanted to grab Gray, run away with him, and have him dance for no one else but him. His own private stripper! He didn't want anyone else to see just how nimble that body was...a body that had shown him such pleasure, a body he had claimed.

Yet that was only a contest: _two out of three_. They had fucked twice, and now Natsu was avoiding Gray. For nearly a month, he refused to talk to Gray alone and ran off to fight someone, anyone, whenever it even appeared like Gray wanted to discuss something seriously. Natsu did not want the third encounter to happen. If it did, the contest would be over. They would have a winner and a loser...and nothing else between them. It was a reality Natsu was not ready to face.

"Natsu?"

He jolted out of his dark thoughts. Lucy stood a little to the side, dressed in a gorgeous golden yukata with a massive island flower pinned amidst the golden strands of hair.

"Do you want to dance?"

He looked back over to the bonfire. The person he wanted to dance with was currently the center of a group of girls. "Sorry, not in the mood," he mumbled. "I can't really dance, anyway."

"You were doing well earlier."

"That's with kids."

"You could pretend I'm a kid."

He laughed, glanced over at her, and his eyes naturally fell to the cleavage that the yukata showed off too amply. "No, that's impossible." He looked back to the fire.

Lucy blushed at his observation, but she still stood beside him, wondering what he was looking at. She quickly realized it was Gray. "He really is a good dancer."

"So you should ask him," Natsu grumbled.

"No, I don't like how he dances with just anyone. I want a guy who will only be looking into my eyes when we dance, not looking to see how to pass me off and dance with the next girl."

"Precisely," Natsu growled so softly, Lucy could not tell what he said. Gray should look only at Natsu. He should dance only for Natsu.

_Dammit, why am I getting so possessive? It's a stupid contest! He doesn't care about me. He doesn't even want Lucy and Erza to know about us. He wants to hide it. He's...ashamed! Ashamed of me. Ashamed of the fact that he fucked a man._

Purely out of spite, Natsu was ready to confess to Lucy about his and Gray's "encounters"— _It's not a relationship_ —but she had drifted off already, trying her luck with some other young man.

"Even _she_ can't stay by my side," he muttered sullenly.

An hour passed, and it was nearly midnight. They had heard that there would be fireworks, a rarity for such a small village, so sleepy children were stumbling back out, carried by parents, and the sexy dancing had to end. Natsu was nicely buzzed on alcohol, not fully drunk, but just enough sake down him to blur the edges of his vision and make just about anything sound like a good idea.

So when a sultry lady came up and said "Wanna come with me, handsome? I know a good place to watch the fireworks away from the crowd," Natsu thought it was a nice idea. Get away from the fire and the dancing and the little kids who should not be seeing him this low and wretched. The woman took his arm and began to lead him away, when suddenly her wrist was grasped firmly, though not painfully. Gray leaned in, all smiles, but his voice thudded.

"He's too hot for you to handle, lady," he warned. She huffed and turned away.

Natsu glared at the ice mage. "What's your problem?" he grumbled.

"I don't want to see you sneak off with ladies." Gray led Natsu aside just like the woman had been about to do.

"Well, I don't like seeing you dance with a bunch of ladies," Natsu snapped back, stumbling with alcohol.

"Dancing is a public act. I obviously can't do anything to a lady in public."

"Says the man who strips naked at the drop of a hat!"

"I won't take advantage of them in front of everyone, idiot. If you're jealous, just tell me. Don't sneak off with some random chick who wants to fuck you."

"What do you care what I do?" Natsu mumbled petulantly.

Gray glowered as they left the lights of the festival. "I just don't like it, okay?"

"Jealous?"

"And if I am?"

Natsu kept quiet. If he was...? Did that mean Gray had actual feelings for Natsu? Enough to be jealous?

They went to a bridge. It seemed like they were not the only ones there, although it was all couples. There was a lonely old lady playing a violin for all the lovers gathered to watch the fireworks. Instead of actually standing on the bridge, Gray stayed near the old lady. He tossed her a coin.

"Play a slow dance tune," he requested with a wink. The elderly musician gave a toothless smile and began to play. Gray stood in front of Natsu, bowed deeply, then extended his hand. "May I have this dance, sir?"

Natsu's mouth dropped. His heart fluttered, and his palms began to sweat. Nervously, he took Gray's hand. He was frozen to his spot by the genteel request of the ice mage, but Gray pulled himself into Natsu's arms. He began to sway, nothing fancy like earlier. It was a dance for lovers who did not care about dance moves. Two bodies swayed in the darkness lit only by the torches on the nearby bridge and a crescent moon reflecting on an inky river.

"I watched you dancing with those kids all night," Gray whispered, somehow keeping tempo to the old lady's violin. "You being jealous of me dancing with ladies...okay, I can understand that. What stumps me is why the hell I was jealous of all those damn kids."

"Of kids?" Natsu laughed. "Stuuuupid."

"I wanted to dance with you, but then all those ladies wanted you. I couldn't let them get their hands on you. I would rather keep all of their attention on me, and not on you, than to watch you dance with anyone like that."

Natsu stumbled in the dance steps. "Are you really that much of an idiot?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "It is pretty dumb, right?"

They heard the people on the bridge counting down. "Ten, nine, eight..."

Natsu stopped dancing and gazed cautiously to Gray. "I heard it's tradition here to kiss the person next to you at midnight."

"You have a lame excuse, flame-brain. You don't need excuses to do something like that."

He glanced over to Gray. "Is that so?" Natsu grabbed a handful of dark hair and crashed his lips against that cold mouth.

"Three, two, one... Happy New Year!"

Natsu kept kissing Gray. They heard an explosion, and through closed eyes they saw an orange flash of a firework. Gray tried to talk about missing the show, but Natsu thrust his tongue in to silence him.

A whole month! He had somehow avoided Gray for a month. Now, the pain in his heart burned like acid. He had missed the taste of Gray's mouth so much. He missed the coolness of the skin, the smell of his hair, the way those nimble hips rolled against him just enough to make him feel Gray's erection. God, but he really had missed the idiot!

"Natsuuuu? Where are youuuu?"

The two pulled apart with shocked expressions. Happy's shout made them realize they were in public and around people. The old lady was still playing a romantic song on her violin, blushing and silently watching them with her toothless grin. Luckily, the people on the bridge were too busy watching the fireworks. It was dark, so likely none of them had seen the two making out in the open.

Gray covered his moistened mouth and turned away to hide his blushing. He walked to the bridge, scolding himself for falling for Natsu all over again, and for saying all that about being jealous. What the hell was he doing? If they kept at it, they would have sex, and if they had sex...

_Two out of three._

What would happen after the third encounter? Would Natsu walk away and forget all about this? That was what Gray feared, and more than anything, he didn't want the sweet tension between them to end.

Happy flew forward and urged Natsu to go up onto the bridge to watch the fireworks better. They walked past Gray, and Natsu silently glanced over. His eyes held yearning, but also worry. While kissing, he had almost suggested that they find somewhere private.

_Two out of three._

A third encounter would be the tie breaker. All of this would end.

But...he wanted Gray again. So badly. He was willing to risk ending this contest. If Gray did not want more, he could challenge him again. And again. And more, until he won Gray over. That was wishful thinking, of course.

Yet Gray's words just now gave him a shred of hope that this was more than a mere contest.

It was not a long fireworks show, and when the last burst filled the sky and faded, the crowd dispersed. Some planned to party until morning. Others were ready to fall asleep. Happy dozed off on top of Natsu's head, purring contentedly. As the dragon slayer walked back toward the main village, his fingers brushed against Gray's hand.

Gray easily felt that hot touch in the cool night. He jolted and looked over. Had it been accidental? Natsu looked over at him again, and he purposely reached over, letting his knuckles caress Gray's wrist. Gray could have melted into a puddle. He responded by taking Natsu's hand and giving those fingers a squeeze.

Here they were, walking side-by-side and holding hands...like a real couple. It was a nice feeling, overwhelming Gray, and he was glad for the darkness to hide his blushing.

Could it be Natsu wanted more than just a competition?

Gray feared that if he got his hopes up too much, Natsu would merely crush his heart and walk away laughing at his tears, bragging "I made you cry, so I win!" He could picture Natsu doing something that spiteful without even realizing how deeply it would hurt Gray. Still...he wanted a little hope that his feelings were not completely one-side, even if just a small reciprocation was all he could get.

"Natsu," Gray began to whisper.

Happy suddenly mumbled in his sleep. "I asked for salmon, not tuna."

Gray yanked his hand away and fisted up his fingers. What was the dragon slayer doing? What was _he_ doing?

They saw Erza and Lucy up ahead. Lucy was obviously drunk, and Erza held the blonde up.

"Lucy vomited once already. I'll take responsibility for her," the Titania informed them.

She saw the blushes on both boys' faces. They were coming from the direction of a bridge she had heard from the locals was known as Bridal Bridge, because if you kissed on New Year's Day on that bridge, the person you kissed would be your bride. Did the boys know about that tradition?

"How about I take Happy as well?" She smiled, knowing the two had been avoiding one another for quite some time. She did not understand what was going on between them that made them separate after being so obviously—and noisily—hot for one another, but she did know that whatever it was, a night together alone might help them to sort it out. At worst, she would have to listen to them either arguing all night, or humping one another until they wore out.

Their generous employer had offered to pay for their hotel, and even got them two suites. It was definitely a nice room, although there was only a single extra-wide bed, since all other rooms were booked for the holiday. Natsu handed Happy over to Erza, and the blue ball of fluff curled into her bosom contently. Then they entered the suite and fell into awkward silence.

"Shower?" Gray asked curtly.

Natsu gazed as Gray immediately stripped his yukata off. "We probably need it," he said, keeping his words carefully neutral. He would rather jump into the shower with the ice mage and make love while the water cascaded over them.

"Who first?"

Natsu looked away. _Who first_ : in other words, not showering together. That pained his heart a little. "I don't have to worry about a snowflake like you taking all the hot water, at least. Go ahead."

Gray glanced over. He had almost hoped Natsu would hint at taking one together. Instead, the dragon slayer looked distracted by something else. He was not even looking in Gray's direction. Maybe he didn't even care.

Gray left to the shower. The whole time, he hoped Natsu would sneak in and attack him in the bathroom, thrust him up against the tiles, and take him, right there, under the water. However, the door never opened. Gray finished, got out, dried off, and when he stepped out, Natsu rushed past him and slammed the door shut.

"Whatever," Gray sighed, leaving to his side of the bed, where his pack of goods was kept. He began to sort through what clean clothes he had left. "I thought for sure I packed three shirts. Did I lose one?" This was a common problem for him.

Gray did not have the sharp ears of a dragon slayer, but he heard a grunt in the shower. Perhaps he was listening for it, waiting, expecting it. As if that tiny groan was a call for distress, Gray threw his bathrobe off and marched into the bathroom fully naked. He tossed the shower curtain back and saw Natsu with his tensed erection in his hand. Natsu's face blanched as his eyes went huge in terror at getting caught.

"You're an idiot," Gray growled.

Without any other warning, he knelt down in the shower and took that cock into his mouth, humming at the heady taste already slathered on the tip. Natsu jolted back, and his fists clenched as Gray's mouth got to work instantly, perfectly replacing the fantasy he had been indulging in just a few seconds ago.

While Gray was showering, all Natsu could think about was seeing the rivulets of water streaking down that muscular body. It had been torture, listening to the water, wanting to jump in there, craving the feel of Gray's chilly skin. By the time Gray was done, Natsu was hard and his cock burned with need. He had run in here to deal with it, but the fantasies, those dreams he had been indulging in all month, came crashing in so intensely, he accidentally moaned.

And now, here Gray was, just like his dreams, but the feel of that mouth was way too real.

Gray pulled back and wiped the wet bangs out of his eyes. He stood up, panting heavily, his lips swollen from sucking, and he glared hungrily at Natsu.

"If you were this desperate, you should have said something," he sneered.

Natsu glared back. "I'm not gonna lose to you, bastard."

Gray flinched at that. _Two out of three_. "So what's the competition tonight?" he growled angrily. This damn dragon slayer only thought of winning against his rival. Stupid, idiotic, destructive, lousy, imbecilic, flame-brained asshole!

Natsu steeled his heart against Gray's question. A competition. That's all this would be. A conclusion to their initial fight. That saddened him. After all this time, after two (and a half) times together, Natsu had hoped there was more to this...this _thing_ between them, whatever it was. Still, he did not want to be the first to break down and admit he hated the idea of sex with Gray being a mere competition. Admitting something like that was like losing, because Natsu realized he had already lost his heart.

"Who comes first?" Gray asked, glaring with anything but tenderness.

"No way. I'm ready to go right now. How about who tires out first? Keep going until one begs to stop."

Gray's blood went from icy to fiery at that suggestion. "Are you sure about that? We only have until sunrise, and I can keep going all night and into morning."

"Maybe with your own hand," Natsu joshed. "You'll be begging in under an hour once I get my cock into you."

"Don't start crying if you scream for me to stop and I ignore you."

"You'll have to beg me three times before I stop pounding your ass."

"I'll be the one laughing at your tears as I tear you apart from the inside."

"Suck me already," Natsu hissed.

Gray dropped back down and sucked voraciously while massaging Natsu's balls. Natsu knew he was about to lose it anyway, so he did not bother holding back.

"Not only...who gives up...first," he strained out as Gray bobbed on him without mercy. "Who...also...comes most...before...quitting. Fuck, Gray!"

Natsu's head threw back, and he groaned a roar as the tension that had been building all night snapped and gushed. Gray's mouth slowed down, milking him, sucking that salty treat up, then pulled back and swallowed.

"Swallowing cum is gross," Natsu stated flatly as his mind swam lazily back to earth.

"Yeah, yours tastes pretty shitty. You should eat more fruits."

"Water's getting cold."

"Bed, now."

They left the shower, and Natsu set himself on fire as he walked from the bathroom to the bedroom. He was dry by the time he got there. Gray sat on the edge of the bed and spread his knees apart, putting his full erection proudly on display.

"Your turn," Gray declared.

Natsu knelt in front of him and sidled up between those knees. "Fine, but don't come in my mouth."

He might speak roughly, but Natsu wanted to treat Gray with tenderness, to show through actions that this was more than a mere competition, to hallow him, to enslave him, to make Gray utterly enthralled so that even after this night was over, he would never be satisfied with another lover.

As if mirroring his thoughts, Gray asked quietly, "Have you been with anyone since last time?"

Natsu rubbed his hands up those muscular thighs, spreading them slightly more as he gazed at that fully erect prize before him. He could smell Gray's muskiness, despite having just showered. It was overwhelming, an aroma that went straight to his groin. He wrapped his hands around the back of Gray's knees to pull himself even close, getting snug between those powerful legs. Natsu grasped the shaft, and his burning hot hand made Gray hiss, as if the fire was sizzling ice. Natsu rubbed his thumb over the head of Gray's cock, eliciting a low moan from the ice mage.

"No one," the dragon slayer finally whispered, and he kissed the flared, fleshy head. Then he spoke right against the sensitive flesh. "I couldn't find anyone that interests me like you do."

Gray looked down in surprise. Did Natsu really mean that? Before he could say anything, Natsu's mouth slid down the shaft, then sucked up hard, drawing out a bitter pearl.

"How about you?" Natsu asked, thumbing that pale pearl off. "You're the man-whore here. How many people have you slept with?" He didn't want to know, he really didn't, but he was curious. Was this something special, or was he just another fuck-buddy on Gray's whoring list?

"I tried going out with some girl I met at a festival. It didn't even last a whole night. She wanted sex and...and I just didn't feel like it. She wasn't..." He choked off the words. _She wasn't you._ Instead, he copied Natsu's excuse. "She wasn't interesting."

"Too bad." He refused to leap up, pump his fist into the air, and start cheering. That was what his inner-self was doing, but Natsu was too interested in stroking the cock in his hand. Instead, Natsu shifted his head downward and went deep, gagging on the cock as it widened his throat.

"N-Natsu," Gray shuddered.

It took only a few seconds for Natsu to loosen the muscles in his neck and take that cock in. To be honest, he had been... _practicing_ this particular maneuver. He told Happy he was shoving carrots down his throat because he wanted to learn sword swallowing. The blue cat thought that was totally awesome and didn't question any further. It was a challenge that could be learned. Overcoming a gag reflex was surprisingly easier than he ever imagined.

As he had worked on carrots—damn lucky carrots!—Natsu had imagined...this. Precisely this. Going down on Gray, having that long cock deep inside him, and hearing Gray's appreciative groans as he gave him this sort of surprise. Gray might have a lot of experience, but Natsu was determined to beat him in one thing. He could utterly surpass the ice mage in deep-throating.

Gray knew he was lost. That hot mouth was one thing, but Natsu's throat was quite another. Blow jobs were mostly suction and tongue work, but what Natsu did was way beyond that. It felt like sliding into a person, like actual sex. More like anal sex, since the throat was so tight. Natsu held him down there for only ten seconds, making small but intense bobbing motions, before coming up for breath.

Gray cursed in a hiss. "If you keep doing that, I'll come way too fast."

"That's sort of the point, idiot."

Natsu dived down again, and Gray's mouth dropped open in a shameless moan of pleasure. It was so wet, so hot, so fucking tight! Natsu came up for air again, and saliva dripped from his lips. His eyes turned up to Gray, wanting to see the sort of expression he would have. As he hoped, it was one of shock and utterly enthralled lust.

Gray could barely handle it. The drool down Natsu's chin, the string of pre-cum on his mouth, and the hazy tears in his eyes nearly undid the normally cold ice mage right there. Gray wanted to say something, to praise him for being so good, to _curse_ him for being too good, to mock that he was a cocksucker and to declare him as the world's best deep-throater.

Natsu gave him no opportunity. He chuckled, which confused the ice mage, before exhaling as he went down again, the cock filling his throat. Gray could see the shape of that throat change, widen, as his cock plunged down into it. He could feel the tightness, and then...Natsu made some motion, like swallowing, and Gray cursed loudly as his hand desperately sought to hold onto something. It tangled into Natsu's pink hair instead, grasping him in a painful clutch as he steeled back his abdominal muscles. If he came this soon, Natsu would never let him live it down. Still...

"I'm seriously ready to come," Gray gasped. It was really too much.

Natsu lifted his head for a desperate breath of air and looked up at him. "I'm almost curious how much I can swallow before you make me vomit," he said breathlessly.

"I thought you didn't want me to come in your mouth."

"I changed my mind. You feel too good, and if you do it in my throat, I don't have to taste it." He pushed Gray down flat on the bed, shoved him sideways to be on the pillows, then climbed on top of him with his ass up by Gray's face while his face was right above the wet cock. "Do that butt-licking thing you did that one time while I suck you off."

Gray nodded fast, desperate for more, and spread Natsu's cheeks wide to get at the small puckering. Then, as he felt Natsu kiss the tip of his flared head, he licked around the little star opening.

"Ahh, fugk," Natsu moaned with his mouth full of Gray's cock. Feeling the vibrations from that groan made Gray shiver.

As Natsu slowly went down on him, deeper and deeper, Gray pressed his tongue inside. It made the dragon slayer whimper, and the vibrations along with the heat inside Natsu's ass almost sent Gray over the edge.

They timed their movements, Natsu mouthfucking with occasional deep-throating, and Gray rimming. Both moaned and panted. Then Gray switched to his fingers, easily sliding two in with it so wet with saliva and loosened from his tongue. Gray could hardly think as he felt Natsu deep-throat him again, and he paid him back by curling his fingers until he hit the prostate. It made Natsu nearly scream and pull up fast, coughing on spit and pre-cum.

"Gray!" he howled.

"Don't stop," he warned, and his hips bucked. "I'm almost there. Suck me hard, Natsu. Please!"

Natsu pounced down hard on him, using his tongue to press the cock up to the roof of his mouth for more friction. The tightness made Gray cry out, and his back arched.

"I'm gonna c-come. Fuck, gonna come," he warned.

Natsu was ready for him, his throat opened wide once more, and he thrust down farther than ever, until his nose was buried in Gray's raven pubes. Although the fingers in his ass had stopped moving, he still bobbed his head a little, urging with his throat, until he felt jets of liquid aimed straight for his stomach, right down the widened esophagus. He finally slowed down, and as air became a necessity, he backed away carefully, knowing Gray would be most sensitive at this point. Even tiny licks made Gray shudder as he floated on his erotic high.

Natsu finally raised his head up so he could move his neck around and massage his adam's apple. He would have a hoarse voice after punishing his throat like that. "Even your cum is cold," he said nonchalantly. He looked back and saw the enthralled expression on Gray's stupidly happy face. It gave a shiver through Natsu's body, as if he had just stepped out into a winter blizzard. "Hey, don't smile like that. It makes you look sexy."

"Because I _am_ sexy, idiot," Gray muttered tiredly.

"Yeah but..." Natsu climbed on top of him and reached down to Gray's ass. "It makes me wanna do you." His finger began to feel the tiny opening.

"Idiot. I prepped you already."

"It'll take you a while to recover. I don't want to wait that long, and I'm already recovered. You can prep me again later."

His finger entered, and slowly he stretched Gray out. The ice mage moaned at feeling Natsu thrusting into him. He opened his eyes and saw the greedy lust on the dragon slayer's face. It made Gray bite his bottom lip while a jumble of kinky ideas came into his mind, things he wanted Natsu to do to him, things he wanted to do while Natsu fucked him, stuff he wanted to attempt but figured Natsu did not trust him enough to try.

"Hey Natsu," he mused quietly. "Why are we doing this?"

"Because we're both horny teenagers," the dragon slayer answered honestly, adding a finger.

Gray hissed at the extra stretching. "No, I mean...why us? Why me? Why you?"

"Like I said that first night, best two out of three."

"Jerk," Gray grumbled. "It's gone beyond petty competition now. Don't you realize that?"

Natsu swallowed hard. He could not even look Gray in the eyes, or he would lose his heart all over again. Definitely, he would fall in love. He pulled his fingers out and got ready to replace them with his eager penis. "Says who? I'm gonna win." Then he slowly slid into Gray.

Gray moaned at the feel of being opened wide and that flaming hot cock ripping into him. "Wait, wait," he cried out.

Natsu held still and looked down at him. "Tell me when to move."

Gray breathed through the initial pain, then opened an eye to look up at Natsu. "I know we've been dancing around this subject for months now, but I need to know. Is that really all this is to you?" he asked seriously. "Is this nothing more than a competition?"

Natsu swallowed hard as he considered his answer. Was Gray playing with him, or was he being serious? "If I say yes, will you not let me fuck you?"

Gray instantly felt disappointment. It was all one-sided, huh? "No...no, you can keep going, but if this is truly nothing more than a competition, then...then I forfeit."

Natsu's brow tightened. He saw the sadness on Gray's face, and slowly he realized, for Gray to give up that easily, his feelings for Natsu must outweigh his own pride. Somehow, that made the dragon slayer really happy. So happy, he felt like crying! He had been terrified that it was just him who felt this way, so he wanted to keep his emotions out of it. Now, seeing Gray's face, all he wanted was to leap up and cheer.

Except that would require pulling out of Gray's ass, and he definitely didn't want to do that!

Natsu leaned over and gave Gray a kiss. It shocked the raven-haired teen when he felt the soft lips warm up his mouth. They were followed by a searing tongue that languished in his mouth. Natsu softly sucked on Gray's tongue, just like he had sucked on his cock. Then he kissed him harder with just his lips. As he did, his cock drove in deeper. Gray moaned at the feel, and he heard the dragon slayer give a possessive growl deep within his throat.

Once he was completely inside, Natsu leaned up and looked down at the watery eyes and flushed cheeks. "Does that answer you, bastard?"

"No," Gray panted, his lips swollen from the roughness.

"It's not just about who wins and who loses. You won the first time, I won last time, but this time..."

"I know, it's the tie breaker," Gray muttered.

"No!" Natsu shouted angrily. "This time..." He forced himself to calm down, and Natsu tenderly caressed Gray's face. "This time, it's just us," he said softly. "This time, we're on the same team, and we're seeing if we make good partners. That's all."

"It still doesn't tell me _why_."

"Sheesh, and here I'm trying to have a tender moment with you!" the dragon slayer scoffed.

"Why me, Natsu?" demanded Gray.

"Because you're sexy."

"Is that it? Just looks?"

Natsu knew that was not all, but he had never really stopped to ask himself why he was so attracted to Gray. "Because I don't want to do this with anyone else but you," he said in irritation.

"Why?"

"Because..." Natsu began to blush. "Because you make me feel good."

"Why?"

Suddenly, he was pissed again. "Because you've got a big cock, jerk."

"Why me? Why my cock? If you want it big, why not Elfman or Laxus?"

"Because I only want you," Natsu yelled in frustration.

"Why?" Gray insisted.

"Because..." He choked off as his face changed shades. "You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

"Yes," Gray glared. "Say it. I want to hear it."

Natsu blushed as pink as his hair and looked away. "Because, during all these years of us fighting each other, somewhere along the way, I...I began to admire you, and I maybe...sorta...possibly...fell in love with you," he muttered, and immediately frowned deeply in embarrassment.

Gray smiled and stroked Natsu's face. Slowly and with uncertainty, Natsu looked back around and down at his lover. Gray's eyes shined at him, looking proud that he had the strength to admit it at last. That made Natsu sigh in relief. At least the ice bastard was not going to make fun of him.

With his smile never dimming, Gray playfully asked again, "Why?"

This time Natsu punched him. "Shut up already! I'll tell you why after we're done. Now stop talking while I fuck you."

"I have one last thing to say."

"No!" To shut him up, Natsu thrust in hard.

"Oh God," Gray moaned as that wide cock spread him painfully.

"Don't talk."

Gray opened his eyes. "What?"

"Don't say anything. You can moan, but no words. I just wanna hear your body, not your words. I don't think we need words anymore."

"I guess we don't," Gray smiled.

Natsu rolled his hips slowly this time, gliding in and savoring every bit of it. Gray sighed gently, not speaking, saying no words. Natsu smirked that the ice mage was actually obeying for once. He rolled his hips a second time, and Gray groaned something that might have been a curse in some demonic tongue, but still not words, not real words. As Natsu set up a smooth pace, Gray's cold breaths became shuddery.

Natsu loved to simply look down at Gray, at how his pale face drew up so erotically at each thrust, and the shouts that shivered out of his throat. Gray's voice was so deep, almost purring in his chest, a growling of lust that went through Natsu's body and straight into his heart.

"Please," Gray rasped out dryly. "Touch me."

"I said no talking," Natsu said sternly.

The dragon slayer shifted just enough to change his angle, then kept thrusting. Gray yelped and threw his head back as his body arched up off the mattress. He wrapped his arms around those fiery shoulders. His muscular legs clamped around Natsu's waist, and his feet locked together over that taut ass, urging him with yanks from his legs.

Natsu loved how tightly Gray was holding him, loved the feel of those cold arms and legs holding him so tightly, caging him there, trapping him against Gray's own desperate body. He leaned over, cupped his hand under Gray's neck, and pulled him forward into a kiss. Their noses rubbed against one another. Gray's eyes drifted open, lazy with his vision blurred around the edges. Those narrow, fierce eyes penetrated him, just like how Natsu's prick was stabbing in. Those squinty, dangerous eyes could violate!

"Gray," Natsu sighed, not caring about anything else right now, not about the competition, not about what might happen later, nor the fact that they were moaning so loudly, Erza would probably scold them...again.

Gray's face suddenly tensed up. Natsu yanked him up, then sat Gray in his lap, letting the ice mage ride his cock, gripping his hips in bruising tightness, while holding Gray firmly against his chest. Gray's breaths were coming out in loud, groaning pants mixed with wanton cries. Natsu kissed over Gray's face, tasting and smelling the sweat building up between them. Gray's clutching fingers slipped over shimmering beads of sweat on Natsu's shoulders and back, and his nails scratched when he could not get a firmer grip. Natsu thrust into that tight heat with greater urgency as Gray began to cry out in the beginnings of his ecstasy, fast pantings of lust gurgling up from his throat. Gray's moans got rougher until he was grunting every time he thrust down onto that cock.

Gray suddenly shoved Natsu backward, slamming him down onto the mattress with his head at the foot of the bed. Then Gray braced himself on his hands, working his hips as he rode hard on top of Natsu. His face was drawn up in glorious agony as he drew closer and closer to the edge.

"Touch me now, Natsu," he finally screamed.

Natsu reached up and gripped Gray's arousal, and the ice mage's whole body arched into that hot hand, shuddering a cry that would have the neighbors complaining. Natsu then sat up, snagged his fingers into Gray's hair, and yanked his mouth forward, crashing their lips together. Sitting upright as equals, they held one another as their worlds shattered.

Natsu's head went down into Gray's neck, and he sucked hard as he felt himself burst inside, filling Gray. At the feel of that pressure in his ass and the mouth biting and sucking a possessive mark on him, Gray utterly lost it. His body went rigid, his eyes rolled back, and spasms of pure, unadulterated pleasure pulsed through him. He felt Natsu's hand get wet from what he shot out, slicking him, but slowing down. Entirely soundless, Gray's whole body trembled as heat that only the Fire Dragon Slayer could instill flowed through his veins.

Gray went limp, and Natsu followed him down. He slipped out at some point, and both laid sprawled on the filthy, rumpled covers. They panted for many minutes, what felt like hours, lying close to one another in a room thick with musky sweat, moist heat, and the aroma of semen. It was probably a solid three minutes before Gray regained enough consciousness to realize he and Natsu were holding hands, just like they had been holding hands walking back from that bridge. He squeezed those fingers in a silent thank you.

Natsu's eyes opened at that, looking stunned for a moment, as if he did not realize his hand was wrapped up in weary fingers. Then he smiled back, squeezed Gray's hand, and let out a tired but satisfied laugh. He didn't know why, but Gray also began to laugh. That never happened in their other liaisons. They felt so happy, they were laughing with no other reason other than the fact that they were together, lying in bed, holding hands, messy and not caring one bit.

"So," Natsu panted. "What was that thing you wanted to tell me earlier?"

"Why should I tell you now?" Gray muttered tiredly.

"Because I'm curious. Or did I bang you so hard you can't recall?"

"Nope, I remember, and I'll never forget."

"Oh? I'm really curious now."

"Too bad," the ice mage yawned, beginning to roll over as if to sleep.

"Aww, come on. Tell me."

Gray glared over at him. "It'll cost you."

Natsu blinked in confusion. "Money?"

"Nope. Favors. If I tell you, then next time I get to be the one banging your brains out."

Natsu laughed at that and leaned back tiredly. "Not even caught your breath and you're thinking of _next time_?"

Gray glanced over cautiously. "Do you want a next time?"

"Hell yes! I said until one of us quits, and I don't plan on quitting. Sleeping, maybe, but not quitting. Not now, not tomorrow...never quitting."

"That's a long competition."

"That's the plan," Natsu smirked. "So I agree, as soon as we're recovered, you're on top. Now tell me what you were going to say."

Gray rolled over to his side and braced himself with one hand to lean over Natsu's torso and smile down into his face. "What I was trying to say was... I love you, too, flame-brain."

Natsu's face blushed again.

"And pink looks really good on you," he teased, patting his flushed cheeks.

"Asshole!" Natsu sneered.

"You are what you eat," Gray smirked, "and I love the taste of your asshole."

Natsu nearly choked in shock at hearing him say something that blunt and kinky.

Gray smirked at the reaction. "Now cuddle me," he demanded, rolling over and spooning into Natsu's body. "You're like a big, warm blanket."

"Your feet are cold, jerk."

"All the blood left my feet and went somewhere else."

Natsu curled around Gray's body and leaned up into his ear. "That can't be the reason, because your cum was cold, too," he whispered seductively. "Like gulping down a smoothie in summertime."

Gray flinched, and despite being exhausted, his hips jerked at Natsu's hot whisper tantalizing his ears.

Natsu chuckled slyly. "Tempted already?"

"I'm too tired now," Gray admitted, "but I'm banging your brains out before the night is through."

"Make sure you wake me up first."

"I could wake you with a kiss."

Natsu hummed in sleepy delight. "That sounds sweet. Sorta romantic. The Dancing Ice Prince waking the sleeping dragon with True Love's kiss. Like a fairy tale."

"Idiot. I was talking about a kiss to your cock."

"Aaaand you just ruined my mood," he frowned in annoyance.

"So, you want romance?" Gray asked in amusement. "Not really your style, is it?"

"Then you don't really know me."

Gray rolled over until his forehead was pressing against Natsu's and their eyes were filled with the view of one another's faces. "I want to get to know you. I wanna know everything there is about you. So...wanna be my boyfriend?"

Natsu's eyes went huge.

"Like, for real this time. No fights, no competitions, just...just us."

Natsu looked aside bashfully. "Jerk. I wanted to ask you out in the morning."

"Beat you to it."

"Yeah..." Natsu smiled back to Gray, then gave him a gentle kiss. "You win."

Gray caressed his flushed cheeks. "We'll call it a tie."

"Equals?"

"We'll take turns," Gray promised.

"I don't just want sex all the time," Natsu insisted.

Gray kissed Natsu on the forehead. "How about I take you out for dinner tomorrow night?"

Natsu felt warm inside at the thought of a simple and romantic date with Gray. It was something they had never tried before, but it was what he really wanted. No more rivalries, no challenges, just simple love.

"It's a date," Natsu nodded happily.

Gray gave him one more kiss goodnight, then rolled back around and settled into Natsu's arms. The dragon slayer hugged his icy lover, warming him through the night. Outside, the New Year celebrations continued, music played, dancers hollered and laughed, and the moon shined down upon the island's celebration. Yet inside that hotel room, Natsu and Gray held one another closely, wrapped up in a world of love, as they dreamed of a day when they could dance in the guild hall without any pretext of fighting.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Here it is, the finale to "Dance Fighting." Thanks for reading. Happy New Year!_


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